The Animal People

Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) was a very active, 15-year campaign, which took place mainly in the USA and England. Its primary objective was to shutter the experimental facilities operated by the Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) organization. It also took place in some other European countries, but this is not discussed in this document. It targets SHAC USA and its six activists, who have been jailed on various controversial charges, with the goal of shutting down SHAC USA. The establishment of Bush's Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act is also imminent, according to which any activist can now be intimidated by the label "terrorist". Esteemed individuals such as Will Potter and Steven Best elaborate on this in the documentary.

The documentary is impartial, providing ample space for opposing viewpoints. It's noteworthy that renowned actor Joaquin Phoenix and actress Jorja Fox were involved in its production. The SHAC campaign did not win. She did not win in the sense that she did not achieve her goal - the abolition of the HLS. However, it did attain numerous successes, including the exposure of over a hundred companies supplying animals for HLS experiments and contracting with HLS. Some subsequently, after pressure from activists, even permanently cut off business relations with HLS.

Ex-SHAC activists continue today in other groups, for example Kevin Kjonaas leads the non-profit Beagle Freedom Project, and Jake Conroy and Josh Harper in particular remain very active. Positive to see that they did not give up.

Devastating to see, how people were blamed for extremism of others that they were not directly involved in, just because they wanted to protect animals.

Sad to see how animal rights activists were put in prison whilst corporations are protected. But at the same time also encouraging to see much power we have.

Why isn't this movie making more headlines? Why are these companies not under more scrutiny? This movie highlights multiple miscarriages of justice and appalling cruelty.

Captivating production that details the failure of our government and legal system, and should help serve to motivate radical activists in the US to continue to work underground until individual freedoms are protected over corporate profits.

Warning - has some very rough animal testing lab undercover footage. I was very upset after watching this and crying. We should see this stuff, but not for kids.

As a vegan, I watched this with interest. But, as a counterculture teen in the 60s, I never agreed with violence to achieve means to an end, or even the smallest advocacy of that. As I saw with MLK, the government will jump on anything, anything, to discredit a movement which is not in agreement with the corridors of power or political strength. So why give the govvy the ammunition of even a hint of a connection to violence or, gasp, putting in on your website? It's just stupid and counterproductive. Do certain things that go on make your blood boil? Yes, but you can't do as you will and assume that your intentions will win out. Against the US government? These activists are just naive and stupid. Saying you support the violence, although you don't condone what they did? This is language parsing in the extreme. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, as has been shown by non-violent movements in the past.

If SHAC truly had a legit 1st amendment case, don't you think the ACLU would have represented them? They didn't. The SPLC has compared SHAC to anti-abortion extremists.

Who do SHAC members think has agreed that SHAC's voice gets to be heard, unrestrained? Then why shouldn't neo-Nazis be able to recreate the actions of the notorious Nazi "brown shirts", who went about terrorizing Jews and other marginalized groups? Why can't extremists of any stripe go around collecting money and proselytizing on every street corner? Where does it stop? Like yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater, you have to be responsible with your speech.

This doc is not really complete, and while even showing a little footage which seems to support the government's claim, doesn't always compare both sides. It only shows one political stance of the House hearings on the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (bi-partisan bill, authored by 2 GOP and 1 Dem), doesn't delve into the close association between certain genres of punk rock (anarcho-punk, straight edge) and militant animal rights politics, the Hare Krishna, and militant veganism, which links militant groups like SHAC, Earth First, and Earth Liberation Front, etc.

Are there hideous things which go on in slaughterhouses, farms, and labs? Yes, and that is the primary reason I am a vegan and I am steadfast in that, for myself, even though disabled and limited financially. Do I still materially contribute to the bottom line of these industries? Yes, but we all do. It's a huge and often expensive job to rid your household of every cleaner, article of clothing, and toiletry that is tested on animals or otherwise irresponsible.

Does the US government abuse its citizens? A loud yes. Do they often meet peaceful protests with heavy violence, often death (Kent State)? Yes. Is big business out of control and unregulated? Yes. Does money = power in Washington (and other seats of power)? Yes. But none of this justifies SHAC's idiocy or connections. You can't fight city hall with no brains. Of course all of this needs to stop, but you have to be intelligent about it.

Mainstream animal rights groups have succeeded in raising our awareness on many issues. Getting cosmetics companies to claim "not tested on animals" (but that is getting watered down, for, yep, China) and "no-kill" animal shelters another. SHAC has not been responsible for any of this and took things over the line, mostly having no intelligent leadership, or trying not to have any central leadership. Thanks a lot, SHAC, for making animal rights and vegans even more silly than many think they are.

I do NOT agree with the assertion, by the academic or whatever he was, that "so-called" non-violent movements were due to other, violent forces, esp the 60's ones I lived through. Took off a point for that weird guy. I won't be too hard on Joaquin Phoenix for executive producing this film (among 12 other producers), as that usually just means the money, but he is an animal rights activist. He has been involved with other good animal rights docs, so I am kind of surprised with this one.