“Containers of accelerant were placed beneath a row of 14 trucks with four digital timers used to light four of the containers and kerosene soaked rope carrying the fire to the other 10,” the e-mail said.
“We were extremely pleased to see all 14 trucks ‘were a total loss,’ ” the message said.
“We’re not delusional enough to believe that this action will shut down the Harris feeding company, let alone have any effect on factory farming as a whole,” the e-mail said. “But we maintain that this type of action still has worth, if not solely for the participant’s peace of mind, then to show that despite guards, a constant worker presence and razor wire fence, the enemy is still vulnerable.
The e-mail ended with, “Until next time.” –Excerpt San Francisco Chronicle
Yesterday afternoon, my Facebook feed filled up with this story shared by several friends. My first reaction – disgust. It’s yet another example of radical behavior from people who do not know the true story of American livestock and food production. They drive down the roads and see the MFA videos and take those as truth. What. A. Shame.
A group of California activists are laying claim to the destruction of 14 cattle haulers at the Harris Ranch property in the California San Joaquin Valley. The Harris Ranch is a family owned, gate to plate company, that prides itself with more than 40 years in food production. Be sure to take this virtual tour from Harris Ranch to learn more about where their cattle come from and how their family operation brings beef to your table.
Now, I was not familiar with Harris Ranch before this story broke, but after a brief google search I found the company’s website, and loads of information about their diversified operations; natural beef production, cattle feeding, hospitality, and horse division. Plus, after asking a few friends from that area in California, I hear they are even open to tours of their place. Isn’t this what consumers are asking for? A family company, transparency about food production, fewer hands between pasture and plate, and willingness to open a dialogue? And for the critics of their size, that’s a free-market for ya. Supply and Demand.
Now I know the actions from these truck-torching activists are on the extreme side (they even call themselves the 1%), but they’re not alone. The North American Animal Liberation Press Office shares stories from these “underground activists” all the time.
If you’re like me, I first asked “What is Animal Liberation?” Here’s how NAALPO describes it:
The Animal Liberation movement is a loosely-associated collection of cells of people who intentionally violate the law in order to free animals from captivity and the horrors of exploitation. As activists in one cell do not know activists in another cell, their non-hierarchical structure and anonymity prevents legal authorities from breaking up the organization. Animal Liberation activists break into any building or compound – be it a fur farm or university laboratory – in order to release and/or rescue animals. They also destroy property in order to prevent further harm done to animals and to weaken exploitation industries economically. Their actions have damaged many operations, shut down others, and prevented still others from ever forming for fear of attack. They may also utilize intimidation to prevent further animal abuse and murder. Read more here.
It’s just another reminder of why we ALL need to stand up and tell the true story of crop and animal agriculture. We each have a unique voice and can connect to non-ag consumers in our own manners. After all, we’re producing food for our own plates too. 2% feeding 100%.
