Extremist tactics

Masked activistAnimal rights extremists (ARE) employ a wide variety of tactics, spanning the spectrum from annoying to disruptive to dangerous. Not least thanks to their often all-consuming dedication to their task, extremists develop cunning and effective methods, many of which betray their often substantial and nuanced knowledge of law.

ARE have varied their tactics over the past decades, often returning to 'successful' ones and inventing new tactics. In the last 35 years we have seen 'liberation' of animals; incendiary devices; fake and genuine postal devices; mass raids, incursions and demonstrations; 'home visits' and focussed campaigns that have included secondary targetting.

Activists are likely to know which of their tactics are legal or illegal, where the grey areas lie, and how best to exploit them. Moreover, they are adept at baiting those caught up in their actions – targeted individuals or police – into acting outside the law.

The main features of recent extremist campaigns in the UK have been intimidation and property damage. Extremists have had many opportunities to assault individuals, but only very, very rarely have assaults occurred. When they did occur, in almost all cases they resulted from an individual attempting to stop an extremist in the course of damaging property.

Moreover, the general character of extremism has changed. From the 1970s to the late 1980s direct action by extremists was more sporadic and indiscriminate. It is true there were dedicated campaigns, but there was also a greater degree of random vandalism and violence. Against that backdrop, it was easier to think, 'maybe I’m next.'

Over the last decade, however, extremists have operated much more focused and sustained campaigns, against discrete targets. Their prominent targets have been Cambridge University, Huntingdon Life Sciences, and Oxford University and even now that extremists have refined their technique of targeting ancillaries of these institutions, those ancillary targets are chosen specifically rather than at random. 

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