Huntingdon Life Sciences is a U.K.-based company, with a lab in New Jersey, that kills 500 animals a day (including beagle puppies) so that pharmaceutical and other corporations using its services can develop more profitable products. The goal of the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty group is to shut the company down.
SHAC has cost HLS millions by harassing employees of companies doing business with HLS. Bullhorn barrages outside homes, slashing of tires — not exactly the way to attract the support of the masses. That said, the SHAC 7 were not tried for committing any of these acts, but for using their website to encourage others to take action, under a domestic terrorism law strengthened after 9/11. One of the seven was dropped from the case, two were convicted on one charge and face up to a year in prison, and the others face sentences of up to 10 years.
The SHAC defendants were convicted for exercising their free speech. Once again the FBI picked an easy target to see how far the current climate of fear can take them. And when running a website is deemed terrorism, the sky’s the limit.
