In 1986, Brass Tacks; Animal Warfare was published in the UK. This is a clip extracted from the document entry that showcases the Animal Liberation Leagues work in multiple laboratories, were hundreds of activists would organise to raid a place together, and in brad daylight. After months of watching and learning, hundreds of folk would break into a laboratory, or a breeding facility, to document, film, steal paperwork, cause economic damage and sometimes liberate animals.
You can see multiple highly functioning teams in action. From folks doing video and audio surveillance, to mass groups pushing their way into laboratories. Tim Phillips gives an interview where he explains the reasoning behind choosing specific tactics, and mentions “Within this laboratories animals have been tortured and died, and they have no say, their only hope is organisations such as ourselves. Arrogance or not, it’s a fact”.
It is also interesting to hear the figures of ALF activists in the UK. They claim about 1300 people involved in underground direct action in the aim of animal liberation. At the beginning of the video, you can read a quote from the ALF Bulletin n.11; “If it is necessary to smash and destroy every butcher’s shop in the land, the the ALF will do it.”
PS: Please note that David Henshaw, producing this documentary, spent quite a few years of his life attempting to link the ALF with the far right and Class War with nazis. Proceed with caution watching complete documentaries made by him.
