Simulposted with Voice of the Voiceless
by Peter Young
“The protests don’t scare farmers the most. They’re worried someone will sneak in and release their animals” (KSTU Fox 13 News)
“Be Thankful We Are Only Protesting”
When I faced off with police in riot gear and over 75 mink farmers and their supporters in the mink farming capital of the U.S. Saturday, it wasn’t the threat of us waving signs outside their farms that elicited their wrath – it was the threat of the Animal Liberation Front.
This is the story of the true value of protest, as revealed by the mink farmer’s own words.
Background: In August, the Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement (SLAAM) announced a Fur Free Saturday march through Morgan, Utah, home of 15 active mink farms. The protest would target two mink farms: starting at the Dawson Fur Farm, finishing at the S. Francis Fur Farm one mile away.
All I spoke to in attendance referred to it as the most tense and volatile demo they had every attended. The threat of impending violence from the 50+ mink farmers in attendance was palpable.
(View video clips from the demo here, and a photo slideshow here)
I followed the media and fur industry coverage closely, before and after the protest. I listened to words directly form the mink farms at the protest, had conversations with reporters who had spoken with farmers that day, and more. The overwhelming take-home message was this:
Mink farmers don’t fear protesters, they fear the implicit threat the protesters bring: that of the Animal Liberation Front looming just out of sight. Their frenzy was not inspired by the threat of sings and chants, but of the crowd charging their farms, releasing animals, and more.
Martin Luther King stated he was only able to gain ground with opponents of the civil rights struggle with the threat of Malcolm X and the more extreme tactics he promoted looming in the background.
It is a point best made in the fur industry’s own words:
“We’ve been preparing (for the protest) for months…. My gates are locked…” (mink farmer L. Scott Francis, Standard-Examiner)
“They have a right to free speech, as long as they’re not blowing up feed plants and destroying million dollar property.” (Mink farmer Smokey Dillree, Standard Examiner)
“We will probably be nervous for a very long time (after the protest), and a lot of people will spend a lot of nights watching their farms… (My husband) was out on watch with the rest of his family last night. “ (Wife of a Morgan fur farmer)
“If you believe standing on the side of the street pounding on a bucket and holding up signs is an effective way to express your opinion and convince others then more power to you. Go for it! If you feel, however, the need to take matters into your own hands and work ‘outside the law’(as many signs and chants implied) that is a different issue.” (Morgan resident)
“The animal rights activists that are protesting the mink farms in the past have demonstrated that they will take extreme measures. These measures include trespassing, vandalism of property, and releasing the caged mink.” (Morgan resident)
“In the end, the activists will enter our community, and overstep the law as they impose their will on the local ranchers. This is what they have done in the past…” (Morgan resident, Standard -Examiner)
“Francis is also worried the protest may lead to the release of mink and the demolition of pens and sheds, similar to other protests in past years in West Haven and West Jordan.” (Mink farmer S. Francis, Standard-Examiner).
“There was a lot of damage to ranches and livelihoods, so it’s something we can’t take lightly”. (Mink farmer S. Francis, Standard-Examiner)
“Mink growers, however, worry it will turn into something more, with their property being destroyed and minks being set free.” (KSL News)
“(The mink farm protest) has the potential to incite breaches of the peace” (language from Morgan County anti-protesting ordinance)
“Stan Durrant says… he’s been spending nights at his farm worried someone might try to open his cages.” (KSTU Fox 13 News)
“Couldn’t we make them supply us their names, in case they do something later? …I don’t understand why they have the freedom not to reveal who they are.” (Mink farmer Tony Jones at the County Council meeting to ban targeting protesting)
“I know Cort, I know Pete, I know Chuck (mink farmers who had their farms raided). In a matter of 10 or 15 minutes, an entire career can be turned upside down. And that’s the last thing we want to happen here…” (County Councilperson, addressing fur farmers at the County Council meeting to ban targeting protesting).
“I’m sure you people will try and protect us…. We don’t want these people up here. We realize they have rights, we need to make rules to keep them out so we don’t have to spend our time up all night. They’re up to no good. They’re breaking the law. They’re agenda was proven last fall in Kaysville, they let 7,000 mink out… “ (Mink farmer Tony Jones at Morgan County Council meeting to ban targeting protesting)
And in a region with a long-running, vibrant and prolific animal rights movement, the head of the Fur Commission USA admits it is not the hundreds of protests which they view as a threat, but direct intvervention in their industry by groups like the Animal Liberation Front. The single action described by Teresa Platt as the industry’s “darkest hour” was not a mass convergence of protesters, but the demolition of the nations largest fur feed production plant, just outside Salt Lake City:
“(The Utah fur industry’s) darkest hour was on Mar. 11, 1997, when terrorists launched an attack on the Fur Breeders Agricultural Coop, in Sandy. An incendiary bomb was detonated inside the Co-op offices, totally destroying them.” (Teresa Platt, Fur Commission USA)
And the mink farmers seemed especially sensitive to the flier passed out at the protest listing updated info on most fur farms in Utah (view here), and the mink farm photo gallery on FurFreeUtah.com. Farmers recognize their industry is so shameful, and public support is so low, that any information made public will have adverse affects. Particularly photos and addresses of their farms:
“(Mink farmer Lynn Boyce) said he fears any inside information could lead to protests that harm specific mink ranches in Morgan.” (Standard-Examiner)
“L. Scott Francis said it was difficult to see his farm pictured on furfreeutah.com, a Web site organized by the protestors. ‘But there’s not much we can do,’ he said.” (Standard-Examiner)
The Morgan mink farm protest is a case study in a lesson more conservative elements of any social justice movement would do well to internalize: Without the spectre of militant, direct action looming just out of sight of more moderate protest activity, legal protest carries little weight.
-Peter Young
Peter Young is NIO’s Senior Editor of Animal Liberation and the creator of VoiceOfTheVoiceless.org. Young is a veteran animal liberation activist and former political prisoner convicted for his role in liberating thousands of animals from fur farms across the country. Emerging from a grand jury indictment, 7 years of being wanted by the FBI, a federal prison sentence, and nearly 15 years in the animal liberation movement; today Peter is a frequent lecturer at universities and events, writer on liberation movements, and unapologetic supporter of those who work outside the law to achieve human, earth, and animal liberation.
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Oh, let me grab a tissue, they’re breaking my heart. Boofuckinghoo. Here’s a solution: stop torturing and killing animals! And someone has the audacity to define fur farming as a career? I can see the hyperbole is kicking there! That’s not a “career” – that’s a rap sheet!
Excellent piece!
It is clear that our movement needs a militant edge so that the sadistic bastards fear losing profits. Any fear at all will do the trick. Standing there with a sign does not hit them where it counts.
Stacey
Have you seen the conditions of the mink farms? Do you really know that they are torutred before they are killed. Toruturing the mink would be bad for business since it would stress the animal and might end up causing the animal to loose fur.
Lisa
Of course they fear loosing profits it’s probably they’re only income. If I was threatening to destroy your only source of income I’m sure you would be conserened to.
The farmers’ “proper care” defense clearly demonstrates the doublethink that they have to exercise to continue the holocaust that they effectuate. How can they argue that they are treating the animals in their care well, when slaughtering them is their fucking occupation?! We say, “Stop killing the animals” and the farmers’ only response is “we treat them well beforehand” …? Talk about missing the point. All the signs or anyone should have to say is “You KILL animals. Stop.” There is no valid defense.
It’s superfluous to talk about treating the animals well or torture being bad for the fur. The torture is inherent in the fur farm.
You are sidestepping the point, Trike. These people are criminals, except that the corrupt law under which we live does not recognise this. Their crimes are against decency. I wouldn’t allow a child pornographer to continue making a living of his filth. I don’t see much difference here.
Trikesorz, let’s get something straight, shall we? Allow me but a moment to correct your speciesist viewpoint: treating animals according to human-contrived desires is cruel, is illegitimate, is pathetically selfish. Any being that is born to die for human use, profit, vanity, greed, or product is treated inhumanely. There are no “comfortable” surroundings or considerate treatments. All animal production is inherently abusive, exploitative, and, yes, torturous. The “conditions” inflicted on these animals cause immense suffering in an imprisoned state, allowing no freedom. These “conditions”, fundamentally exploitative, cause pain, disease, boredom, lack of interaction, and psychological trauma. The “modes” of death include genital and anal electrocution, gassing, and skinning, all selected for imparting the least amount of damage to the pelt. In your narrow-minded, selfish, and tiny speciesist attitude, you would think they are being cared for in a humane manner, with you adopting some ludicrously pathetic viewpoint that “torturing” the animals would be unprofitable and therefore precluding of any “torture”. What you people NEVER acknowledge, however, is the fact that the people defining these “conditions” are the very people who profit off the death of animals. If you and others actually gave a shit about the animals, you’d never be in the fur business in the first place so how could you even suggest such idiocy? How blind do you have to be to ignore such a basic, common-sense premise? Did you ever – EVER – stop to think for one fucking moment that any being kept to be killed for silly vanity or needless diet or wretched clothing is, indeed, BEING TORTURED? How about if you put yourself in the mink’s position for one tiny fucking second, hey? Would you be fine with that? Would that be okay and “non-torturous”?
Your problem, and the problem with every other immoral, self-serving, and uncivilized person is you only see the animals based on YOUR worth, based on YOUR desires, based on YOUR goals, based on YOUR life. Your weak, ignorant, and selfish lifestyle only centers around how animals benefit YOU. But you know what? These animals have lives separate from you, they value their lives even if you do not, and to assign them worth based only on human-defined objectives is absolutely unethical and a regard of speciesism, no different in danger than racism or sexism.
And, hey, how about this – I could give one fuck if somebody makes money off the TORTURE of animals. Is slavery okay to you since somebody engages in such for “income”? I’m pretty certain you’d serve the drug cartels well championing for their rights to “income”. Child slavery never saw such a promoter before you – I’m sure we’d all love to hear your sad tales about the people who depend on that for “income”. The end does NOT justify the means. One penny earned on the blood of innocent animals is criminal!
Unfuckingbelieveable the lengths people go to in some ludicrous attempt to validate such hideous actions. Fur farming = TORTURE and death no matter how many sugary euphemisms and disguises you employ.
Very good Stacey-you covered all the points. I watched the video and looked at the photos. The ignorant, violent faces of the fur farmers and how they taunted with deer heads as well… That old excuse of income…How about learning a decent trade?
Steven I follow the laws of the United States not the laws of animal rights activist
Stacey Rakic
“The “modes” of death include genital and anal electrocution, gassing, and skinning, all selected for imparting the least amount of damage to the pelt”
I would think the farmer would just use a captive bolt gun in the head since he probably isn’t using the head skin, regardless skinning IS NOT a method of killing an animal for it’s skin. Obviously you have never skinned an animal leaving you clueless to the methods so really read what I have to say hear.
Lets say I’m skinning a squirrel (the one thing I’m most familiar with when skinning) for it’s skin, if I try to do it while it is still alive it will thrash around, bite, and claw me making the risk of me getting hurt and messing up very high. I would probably put a big rip in the skin trying to separate it from the meat with out leaving big chunks on.
“If you and others actually gave a shit about the animals, you’d never be in the fur business in the first place so how could you even suggest such idiocy?”
You are assuming I am in the fur trade I am not. I am just looking at this through the eyes of the farmers. I would not want to be raised for my skin but I’m not going to ruin some one elses only source of profit for an animal that probably won’t show any appreciation. Saving a child from child slavery would be different since the would probably show some gratitude.
Rebecca may I ask what trades do you know? Skinning an animal is not as simple as simply shooting an animal and ripping the fur off (ripping would just put a big whole in it) it takes time to get the skin off the more time to cut the fat off with out putting wholes in it.
Bella that was just my response I am not a fur farmer but in todays economy people won’t just give up the jobs they have been doing for all their lives. There is also the tanning process of the fur industry which involves acid to preserve the skin and keep it flexible for the clothing industry.
The reason I know so much about the skinning process is I’m currently learning taxidermy (using the internet and a book my brother got me) but I am not currently involved in the fur trade since I either find fresh road kill or I kill my own animals.
“I would think the farmer would just use a captive bolt gun in the head since he probably isn’t using the head skin, regardless skinning IS NOT a method of killing an animal for it’s skin. Obviously you have never skinned an animal leaving you clueless to the methods so really read what I have to say hear.”
You would think? Gosh, thanks for the certainty, for a moment there I thought you were going to try to educate me. Skinning is one of the most common forms of fur “production”. Have you ever seen one of those big tongs? They hold the animals with it, preventing biting and movement. And, I am proud to say I have never skinned an animal. The fact that you have is so obviously testament to your arrogant selfishness.
“I am just looking at this through the eyes of the farmers”
Yeah, it must get so lonely for them with six billion other speciesists looking through their eyes, too. Here’s a radical thought: try empathizing with the tortured and slaughtered ones, or is that morally challenging for one so ignorant and apathetic towards living beings that cannot say “profit”?
“I’m not going to ruin some one elses only source of profit for an animal that probably won’t show any appreciation”
Okay, well now you are just baiting me, you inbred fuck. The animals don’t belong to you anymore than they belong to others.
“Saving a child from child slavery would be different since the would probably show some gratitude.”
Wow, thanks for reminding me the word hubris exists. I didn’t think it was possible for someone to reach the level of such egotism and self-love, but we’ll surely break the mold now that you’ve come forward. Your standard of only extending compassion based on the level of appreciation given you in return is astonishingly self-centered; did you intentionally adopt that attitude or were you in an accident? I think Jebuz is weeping. It would really suck being the babies and those with conditions that preclude them from thanking you; I’ve never seen a human skin rug, but you must have tons…
“in todays economy people won’t just give up the jobs they have been doing for all their lives.”
I know, it would totally suck being a sweat shop owner having to pound the pavement delivering newspapers.
“The reason I know so much about the skinning process is I’m currently learning taxidermy (using the internet and a book my brother got me)”
Gee, thanks, the void I’ve felt for so long is now gone knowing that bit of your life. I see aspiration is your middle name.
Trike-unless you are putting us on just for the fun of stirring up trouble here I would conclude you are missing components. Skinning skirrels? What the heck is wrong with you Man?
As far as trades go there are many of them and they are not difficult to obtain those skills. Need I list them? The local junior college trains for vocations. The point is that no one who has a heart is going to skin animals for profit-But if you are a barbarian ignoramus you are right at home with such an “avocation.”
Heh…you’d probably call it a career.
Trike definitely has more than a few screws loose, in other fora and in private communication with me he has proudly admitted to being a profound sociopath. He is yanking our chain, no-one could be has stupid as he pretends to be and survive without a keeper. Learning taxidermy from the web and a book? Yeah, right. Good luck with that, with any luck you’ll open a vein and bleed out.
Stacey Rakic Larson the last part was just to explain I am not a fur farmer before some one accused me of being one and there really is no need for all the insults, I have yet to call go and insult you even with you provocking me.
“Okay, well now you are just baiting me”
No I’m just making a statement based on my opion
Rebbeca I skin squirrels because I enjoy eating them and I preserve the skins with salt. Not all of us are able to go to a junior college and learn a trade especially when they can go into the family buisness.
“The point is that no one who has a heart is going to skin animals for profit”
I don’t make any money off skinning animals but if thats what I had to do I wouldn’t mind. You can say I’m heartless but really I just have a hobby that is considered unusal but that doesn’t mean I’ going to be a serial killer. I’ve heard it before about how BTK started with small animals but I’m not a psychopath so I won’t be one.
“You would think? Gosh, thanks for the certainty, for a moment there I thought you were going to try to educate me. Skinning is one of the most common forms of fur “production”. Have you ever seen one of those big tongs? They hold the animals with it, preventing biting and movement. And, I am proud to say I have never skinned an animal. The fact that you have is so obviously testament to your arrogant selfishness.”
Can you show me a picture of this or at least prove it is used in the U.S.?
“Trike definitely has more than a few screws loose, in other fora and in private communication with me he has proudly admitted to being a profound sociopath”
Steve whats your email again I don’t remember what these fora and private communications were care to refresh my memory?
“He is yanking our chain, no-one could be has stupid as he pretends to be and survive without a keeper. Learning taxidermy from the web and a book? Yeah, right. Good luck with that, with any luck you’ll open a vein and bleed out.”
Yeah thats how you learn things you find what ever resources are available to mine just happen to be whatever free info I can find on the web and a book (there are more out there but I’m broke and can’t buy a lot of stuff) and is calling me stupid really necessary?
If you re-read what I wrote, I didn’t call you stupid simply pointed out I’m your you are nothing other than a worthless troll pretending to be stupider than you are, you are right it is not necessary, as it is a self evident fact.