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Monumental Animal Liberation Front Actions - United States

The Animal Liberation Front is responsible for rescuing countless animals from literally the depths of hell. Often times, activists must enter these laboratories, fur farms, and factory farms of hell, themselves, to carry the victims to safety. The photos and videos sent by activists, to the media and above ground animal liberation organizations, often bear the scars of horror they have witnessed first hand. These people cannot forget, and will not forget the suffering and so the actions continue...

The beginning was March 14, 1979 - New York City, NY. The New York University Medical Center had one New York University Medical Center, one cat, two dogs, and two guinea pigs were given the chance at life that few other laboratory animals will ever have.

In 1979, there wasn't a social movement to accompany such an action, but it did leave a legacy for future activists to aspire to.

What followed, continues to be the story of massive liberations across all of North America.

As part of Operation Bite Back part II, a record 10,000 mink were liberated from Arritola Mink Farm May 30, 1997 in Mt. Angel, OR. This is the largest liberation in the U.S. to date which received spectacular results for the animals. Instead of leaving behind thousands of animals slated to die, volunteers attempted to leave no victims behind.

The combination of live liberations and economic sabotage is demonstrated in this next important raid.

The success of this strategy was illustrated in May 1984 at the University of Pennsylvania Head Injury Laboratory. $60,000 economic damage, and sixty hours of researcher's video tapes were taken which produced the movie "Unnecessary Fuss" that documented vivisectors taunting and ridiculing sentient animals after horrific experiments were performed.

This evidence recorded by vivisectors themselves helped stop funding for the experiments.

The largest liberation of animals in the United States was April 2, 1989 at the University of Arizona at Tucson. The Veterans Administration Hospital had 1231 (1160 mice, 42 rats, 16 rabbits, 9 guinea-pigs and 4 frogs) animals liberated, slogans painted and fires set in two offices. This action totaled $500,000 in damages.

Another massive liberation of laboratory animals happened April 1985, almost 1000 animals were liberated (1 monkey, 21 cats, 9 opossums, 35 rabbits, 38 pigeons, 70 gerbils, 300 mice, rabbits and 460 rats) at the University of California at Riverside. Documents and videotapes were taken with an estimated $700,000 damage caused. These videotapes were shown to the media to expose vivisection at it's worst. The most damage sustained from the A.L.F. was 5.1 million dollars on April 6, 1987 at the University of California at Davis. The Animal Diagnostics Laboratory under construction was burned down and 20 university vehicles were damaged.

The first mink and coyote liberation as part of Operation Bite Back Part I was at the USDA Fur Animal Research Facility at Washington State University. 6 mink, 7 coyotes, and 10 mice are liberated. Two offices had extensive damage done, slogans spray painted, equipment and computers damaged, $150,000 damage in August, 1991. This action was part of the A.L.F's Operation Bite Back part I.

The first fox liberation happened at McEllis Fur Farm which had 20-25 foxes freed in Pleasant View Tennessee Oct. 1994.

The first chinchilla liberation saw ten chinchilla's placed in loving homes after raiding the Don Kelly Chinchilla Farm in Texas, April 4, 1997.

The most damage caused by arson to a fur business was at the Alaskan Fur Company in Minnesota. Approximately $2 million in damage was done to the furs and other merchandise. The building sustained about $250,000 in damage on November 12, 1996. Local activists fully supported this event in the media.