You usually hear about gang violence or school violence on the rise, not violence against researchers by animal activists. The latest target by animal rights activists was directed at two University of California, Santa Cruz research scientists. These scientists were targets of firebombs this past weekend.

Authorities in the Santa Cruz area are sighting the increasing number of as a troubling sign of the increased violence against researchers who use animals in their labs. The crime occurred off the school's campus, when a molecular biologist and his family had to climb down a latter from their home to avoid the fumes from the firebombing of their home. Another firebomb was also detonated, destroying the researchers Volvo station wagon.

There have been warnings of this violence as some fliers were found at a cafe, listing the names, home addresses, home phone numbers and photos of 13 other  science researchers and professors. Police believe that animal rights activists created the fliers, which were made to look like wanted posters, and called for the end to animal testing. The police are taking this incident very seriously, and are classifying it as a case of attempted homicide.

There have been a number of attacks that are believe to be the result of animal activists when intruders broke into a family's home in February, in March 2007 when a police car was bombed, firebombings of professors and researchers at the University of California-Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles, and most recently when nine hooded protesters broke a window of a professor's home.

Although the act of using violence to terrorise scientists and researchers believed to be abusing animals is not new, organizations like Peta and the Animal Liberation Front have made sure to use nonviolent protests and operations to free animals of cruel situations. Peta especially has brought their tactics to the forefront of the media by positive use of celebrities that help them to further their cause without the use of violence. 

The group believed to be behind the recent firebombings has been  frequently targeting researchers through mass e-mailings, and website promotions, but this is where it should have ended. David Feldheim's wife and two young children were the  victims of this last attack, as they were forced to flee from the building with minor injuries. This act is inexcusable from any moral standing. By taking violence in their own hands, these activists have shown that they are naive and lacking the knowledge needed to create a process that will bring real action to a grievance or cause. These attackers have since lost any legitimate footing for their cause and have slipped off their perch that they deemed morally superior.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10084743

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PETA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_protection

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/04/usa1?gusrc=rss&feed=networkf...

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