THE ANIMAL Rights Militia

THE ANIMAL Rights Militia

The Animal Rights Militia (ARM), an ally of the ANIMAL LIBERATION FRONT (ALF), was organized in England during the early 1980s and subsequently expanded to North America. While emulating the ALF’s tactics of liberating captive animals and causing economic damage to its targets, ARM spokespeople maintain that the ALF “does not go far enough with regards to direct action. More effective victories can be achieved with poisoning hoaxes, and other such strategies.”

Acknowledged ARM actions include:

1984—A poison hoax in England targeting the Mars candy company, which “performed horrific tooth-decay experiments on animals with no signs of stopping.” ARM threats of poisoned candy forced mass recalls of various Mars products, inflicting “huge financial losses” on the company and prompting abandonment of the offensive experiments.

September 1, 1987—ARM claimed credit for California arson fires that destroyed a paper products warehouse and caused $100,000 damage to San Jose Veal Inc.

November 26, 1987—The same California arsonists caused $230,000 damage to the Ferrara Meat Company, destroying a barn filled with hay and grain.

January 2, 1992—ARM activists initiated a poison scare against Cold Buster candy bars in Canada. The bar’s inventor, Larry Wang, was named by ARM spokespeople as a participant in cruel animal experiments at the University of Alberta. Development of the candy allegedly included 16 years of animal research.

The ARM poison scare forced a recall of candy valued in excess of $1 million.

April 23, 1992—ARM commandos equipped with red paint celebrated the International Day for Laboratory Animals by vandalizing the home of Hans Fibiger, an animal researcher at the University of British Columbia.

August 10, 1994—ARM raiders in the United Kingdom coordinated detonation of incendiary devices at the Edinburgh Woolen Mill, Nurse’s fur store, C.H. Brown’s saddlery and leather shop, Westworld Leather Goods, and Madison’s leather shop.

August 24, 1994—ARM incendiary bombings around England caused $4 million damage at two leather shops, a fishing tackle shop, the Cancer Research Fund Shop, and an outlet of the Boots the Chemist chain (targeted as supporters of animal testing).

September 16, 1994—Further British incendiary attacks caused an estimated $4 million damage at the Linsley Brothers sport shop, the Imperial Cancer Research Foundation store, and two more Boots the Chemist outlets. Boots subsequently sold off its pharmaceutical division to avoid further incidents.

December 23, 1994—Another ARM poison hoax rocked Vancouver, British Columbia. Activists falsely claimed to have injected frozen turkeys with rat poison, placing the contaminated poultry in various Safeway and Save-on-Food markets throughout the city. Turkeys valued at $1 million were recalled, while Turkey Producers Co-op reportedly suffered major revenue losses.

January 15, 1998—ARM activists in Uppsala, Sweden, raided laboratories owned by Bio Jet Service, liberating 92 guinea pigs slated for experimentation at Uppsala University.

The breeder, Gothe Olofsson, announced that he was giving up the trade in laboratory animals.