Animal Rights Threats of Violence Not Even Thinly Veiled

The terrorist pimp Jerry Vlasak, reacting to a judge’s refusal to lift a restraining order against ALF and others who have made the lives of UCLA animal researchers a living hell through threats of death, bombs left on doorsteps, etc., has issued a clear threat of violence that is barely even veiled. From the Animal Liberation Front Press Office press release:

Jerry W. Vlasak, MD, a press officer for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, stated after he heard about the rulings, “How stupid can this [Judge] Terry Friedman be? Not only does he flaunt his obvious financial biases for the plaintiffs, but fails to realize that removing legal and constitutional avenues of redress, as history proves out, will only promote illegal actions on behalf of the non-human animals being gratuitously tortured to death in places like UCLA laboratories. Its an affront to justice that this judge is literally in the pockets of Irell and Manella [a law firm] and an alumni of the very University who is suing these defendants. It should surprise no one when underground activists once again act against the animal abusers being protected by such a biased judge and court.”

We have repeatedly illustrated here at SHS the reasons why animal research is so important to the advancement of medical science. But that isn’t the point. Those who believe that using animals instrumentally is immoral have every right in a democratic society to convince the rest of us through legal means. However, they do not have the right to coerce society—or terrorize scientists—in pursuit of that goal. “Economic sabotage” and “other tactics,” mentioned in the press release, e.g. threats and bombs, are not free speech. They are felonies and the perpetrators deserve a long stretch in prison.