‘They’re Still There’: Animal liberation activists warn of more mink raids after break-in at Oregon farm
After a late-night break-in last week led to the escape of 1,500 mink from an Oregon farm, some animal rights activists say more intrusions could be on the way. The Animal Liberation Front, a decentralized group of animal rights advocates, has claimed responsibility in a press release shared on its website for the Aug. 13 break-in at Cascade Farms of Oregon mink farm in Turner, Oregon. That claim has been unconfirmed by officials. Jerry Vlasak from the North American Animal Liberation press office, which represents the ALF in North America, said it was consistent with an ALF action but has not received an anonymous communique taking credit for the action.
AMANDA RHODES: After a late-night break-in last week led to the escape of 1,500 mink from an Oregon farm, some animal rights activists say more intrusions could be on the way. The Animal Liberation Front, a decentralized group of extremist animal rights advocates known for sabotage, vandalism and even arson, has claimed responsibility in a press release shared on its website for the Aug. 13 break-in at Cascade Farms of Oregon mink farm in Turner, Oregon. That claim has been unconfirmed by officials. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Portland office declined to comment on whether it is investigating the break-in. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said there have been no arrests related to the case, and they have no information indicating the ALF’s involvement…
Joseph Buddenberg, a former member of the Animal Liberation Front, said the break-in at Cascade Farm in Turner is consistent with an ALF action. Jerry Vlasak from the North American Animal Liberation press office, which represents the ALF in North America, also said it was consistent with an ALF action but has not received an anonymous communique taking credit for the action. Vlasak also said communiques are often submitted by activists days or even weeks after an event but sometimes aren’t sent at all.
“There have been over 100 fur farm raids in the United States dating back to the 1990s,” Buddenberg said. “Cutting the fences, opening cages, and destroying breeding records have been tactics historically utilized by the ALF.” Buddenberg pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act after he and a partner were accused of terrorizing the fur industry during cross-country road trips. He has since completed his sentence and said he hopes speaking out can help people understand why activists go to such extreme lengths…
Oregon’s mink farming industry is a shadow of what it once was. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show Oregon had 37 mink farms in 1978. A decade later, in 1998, that number dropped to 30. By 2006, there were only 18 mink farms in Oregon. Since then, the USDA has stopped including the number of ranches in its reports. Some estimates say Oregon currently has around 11 mink farms. Others, including Buddenberg, estimate there are only about five left in the state, including Cascade. “Actions like this have a history of closing fur farms,” Buddenberg said. “My hope is that this farm will close. Actions like this are very effective”…
American University Professor Thomas Zeitzoff researches political violence and recently published “No Option But Sabotage,” a book examining the radical environmental movement. Zeitzoff said he hesitates to refer to the ALF as a group because it has no leadership or membership lists. Essentially, anyone can carry out an ALF action if it aligns with their principles.
In researching for his book, Zeitzoff said he conducted more than 150 interviews with current and former activists, experts and law enforcement sources, including in Oregon, and built a database of 1,300 incidents. What he found is that radical environmental activism seemed to peak in the 1990s and slowed by the 2000s, when stiffer penalties were enforced and the FBI carried out Operation Backfire in direct response to actions carried out by the ALF and the Earth Liberation Front.
“Some people think these groups have gone away, but they’re still there,” Zeitzoff said. He said what struck him recently is how careful activists are to ensure security and protect their identities. Without a communique, he said it’s difficult to say whether the action in Turner was the ALF but agreed it does have some of the hallmarks of it. SOURCE
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