Huntingdon, Stephens weather October protests
Huntingdon Life Sciences Inc, a private medical research company targeted for
extermination by animal rights activists, and company investor Stephens Inc.
weathered the latest round of protests against the conduct of animal-based research
in the US and Britain on October 29, 2001.
The October actions against Stephens began with a conference featuring activists
espousing undercover activity and direct action to achieve their goals and wound
up with demonstrations at the homes of Stephens’ executives and company
headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas, and attempts to jam the company’s
telephone lines.
The demonstrations received weeks of advance publicity on activist websites
and computer mailing lists. One message claimed “Activists around the country
and around the world have committed themselves to smashing Stephens this weekend.1”
However, in spite of advance billing and exhortations to advance on Little Rock,
only about 150 demonstrators answered the call, and Stephens reported no interruption
of telephone service.2
Police presence was strong at demonstration sites. Although organizers said
that their gatherings would be peaceful, about two dozen demonstrators were
arrested and faced charges for disorderly conduct, failure to submit to arrest,
and blocking the streets.
Huntingdon first ran afoul of protestors in 1996 when an undercover operative
from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals infiltrated the company and
photographed researchers at work. PeTA used the resulting videotape and stolen
documents to threaten Huntingdon clients with harassment if they failed to sever
relationships with the company. Huntingdon sued, and PeTA and its agent settled
out of court.
In the ensuing years, Huntingdon officials have been intimidated and threatened,
the company’s managing director has been beaten, and investors and their
clients have been the subject of threats, demonstrations, trespassing, and other
attempts at intimidation. One by one, investors backed out, and Huntingdon faced
bankruptcy until Arkansas-based Stephens Inc. came to the rescue.
After PeTA agreed to suspend its anti-Huntingdon campaign in the court settlement,
the British activist group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty quickly spread operations
to the US and initiated campaigns against that Stephens. The investment company
responded with a racketeering lawsuit against SHAC, Voices for Animals, Animal
Defense League, In Defense of Animals, and certain individuals for conduct including
physical attacks on individual employees, death threats, bomb threats, destruction
of property, burglary, harassment, and intimidation.
For more information on Huntingdon and Stephens, see the NAIA website, www.naiaonline.org.
Notes:
1. “[CloseHLS] 7 Days to Little Rock - Will You Be There?”
activist e-mail dated October 23, 2001
2. “Protest at Stephens turns ugly; 26 arrested” by Mark Minton
and David Smith, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, October 30, 2001.
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