A Letter from a Small Country Struggling for the Democratic Rule of Law...

[Guest guest]

Since the Martin Balluch case in Austria has been raised on

AAPN, let me point out that this is scarcely the black-and-white

matter that many of Balluch's supporters have represented it to be.

 

On the one hand, the Austrian authorities have not made

their reasons for arresting Balluch and 13 others very clear. The

more time passes without specific charges being filed, the more the

whole series of raids looks like the politically motivated fishing

expedition that it is often alleged to have been.

 

On the other, Balluch has a history of having participated

in raids on factory chicken farms, albeit in the tradition of " open

rescue " rather than covert vandalism, and has also very prominently

defended arsons, vandalism, and other covert actions attributed to

the ALF. He was a particularly outspoken supporter of the serial

arsonist Barry Horne.

 

One well-placed Austrian source confirmed to me recently that

Balluch appears to have talked his own way into becoming a suspect,

even if he had nothing at all to do with the offenses leading to the

raids and arrests.

 

Time and the Austrian judicial system may eventually make

clear whether Balluch et al are in fact guilty of any crimes.

 

Meanwhile, there should be a lesson in this case,

regardless of outcome: don't go around advocating and defending

anything you would not want to be suspected of doing, whether the

alleged offense is associated with activism, illegal drugs,

fornication, or flying paper airplanes in the back of the classroom.

 

 

-------

 

 

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2008:

 

 

Austrian activists on hunger strike after arrests

 

VIENNA--Association Against Animal Factories founder Martin

Balluch and 13 other Austrian activists associated with at least

seven organizations--and the Animal Conference 2006 held in

Vienna--were reportedly arrested without charges on May 21, 2008,

in dawn raids on as many as 24 homes and offices. The raids were

noteworthy for the lack of information disclosed by Austrian

authorities about the reasons for them and the findings of the police

investigators.

" Ten people are being held in pre-trial detention, which

could last for months, accused of 'forming a criminal organization,' "

said the Farm Animal Reform Movement in a supporting statement.

" Seven, including President of the Austrian Association Against

Animal Factories Professor Martin Balluch, are on a hunger strike

and becoming very weak, " FARM added. Balluch, hunger striking

for 20 days as ANIMAL PEOPLE went to press, was said to have been

hospitalized.

FARM and other organizations on June 11, 2008 demonstrated

in support of Balluch and the other detainees at Austrian embassies

and consulates in at least 12 U.S. and northern European cities.

Wrote Victor Schonfeld in a June 5, 2008 Guardian guest

column, " Balluch's lawyer, Stephan Traxler, has been shown excerpts

from a police surveillance dossier of several thousand pages

concerning minor acts of vandalism against fur shops and food

establishments perpetrated by unknown persons over recent

years--incidents of windows broken, stink bombs set off and locks

glued. In no instance were people hurt or attacked and no evidence

linking the vandalism with the detainees has been offered. The

planned launch of an initiative for an Austrian constitutional

amendment about animal welfare has had to be postponed. It's hard

not to conclude that was the objective of the police action. "

Schonfeld in 1973 produced The Animals Film, a documentary

narrated by Julie Christie, remembered as one of the major

influences in sparking the rise of the animal rights movement.

Alleged Association Against Animal Factories managing

director Harald Balluch, brother of Martin Balluch, " This police

action is designed to discredit the work being done for animals.

Through the police raids, our office along with four others has been

brought to a standstill. Our computers with our complete data bank

have been taken, along with all our mobile phones and years of

research material. We have no possibility of contacting our

supporters. Our phone and fax lines were also out of order for some

time after the raid, making contact with media impossible. "

Martin and Harald Balluch and their girlfriends shared a Vienna flat.

" I awoke to the sound of the door being broken in, " Harald

Balluch recounted in a written statement. " Immediately armed and

masked people surrounded my bed where my girlfriend and I were

sleeping and aimed their weapons at us. They screamed at me that

they would shoot me in the head if I moved. We have two elderly

rescued dogs, who were brutally manhandled. As you can imagine, all

four of us were absolutely terrified. "

" Balluch has a double Ph.D. in physics and philosophy, and

is a former colleague of Stephen Hawking at Cambridge University, "

wrote Schonfeld.

But Balluch is also a former associate of Barry Horne, a

British activist who was convicted in November 1997 of committing a

string of arsons against druggists, allegedly to protest against

vivisection. Sentenced to serve 18 years in prison, Horne died on

November 5, 2002, at age 49, after a two-week hunger strike, at

least his fifth hunger strike since his conviction. Involved in

animal advocacy since 1983, Horne had reportedly been arrested at

least five times and convicted at least twice before in connection

with " direct action " protest between 1988 and 1996.

Balluch recalled his acquaintance with Horne and

demonstrations he led on Horne's behalf in recent interviews with the

online magazine The Abolitionist and the podcast radio series Animals

Voices.

Espousing a more cautious and selective tactical approach

than Horne and other militant British activists, Balluch has favored

classic civil disobedience over covert action, and has emphasized

doing mainstream political organizing to capitalize on favorable

publicity after actions that disclose obvious cruelty to animals.

In March 2003, for instance, Balluch conducted an " open

rescue " of seven hens from a farm in Kleinsierning. " There were six

chickens in battery cages which by law should have held only four, "

Balluch told media. " Dead chickens were rotting in the cages. The

rescued birds were seriously ill, and one had to be put down " by the

emergency veterinary clinic to which Balluch and a reporter took the

hens at approximately 3 a.m.

Balluch complained to the Austrian veterinary authorities.

The farmer was fined 200 euros and was ordered to reduce his caging

density. Balluch was convicted of theft, but the Austrian High

Court in June 2004 reversed the conviction, two weeks after the

Austrian parliament--responding to strongly favorable coverage of the

" open rescue " --passed a new national humane law that prohibits

battery caging.

Balluch in January 2008 lost a yearlong bid to have a

chimpanzee named Matthew Hiasl Pan declared legally a person, when

the Austrian Supreme Court rejected his last appeal. The chimp and a

companion, Rosi, lived at a now bankrupt sanctuary. Balluch sought

personshood status for Matthew Hiasl Pan as a test case, hoping to

prevent him from being sold abroad, beyond Austrian protection.

Matthew Hiasl Pan and Rosi were both captured in Sierra Leone in 1982

and smuggled into Austria for laboratory use, but were rescued by

Austrian customs agents.

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year;

for free sample, send address.]

[Guest guest]

Well Clifton, I think that¹s where we differ, we do advocate things that we

want not to be suspected of doing, and we do encourage the flying of paper

airplanes in the back of classrooms (within reason).

 

We DO NOT however advocate the application of any anti-terror or

anti-organized crime laws being applied to animal-rights activists,

especially in cases of property damage and trespassing. Let applicable and

reasonable laws be used there.

 

Cheers!

Jigs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merritt Clifton <anmlpepl

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:49:32 -0700

<aapn >

Re: A Letter from a Small Country Struggling for the

Democratic Rule of Law...

 

 

Meanwhile, there should be a lesson in this case,

regardless of outcome: don't go around advocating and defending

anything you would not want to be suspected of doing, whether the

alleged offense is associated with activism, illegal drugs,

fornication, or flying paper airplanes in the back of the classroom.

 

 

-------

 

 

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2008:

 

 

Austrian activists on hunger strike after arrests

 

VIENNA--Association Against Animal Factories founder Martin

Balluch and 13 other Austrian activists associated with at least

seven organizations--and the Animal Conference 2006 held in

Vienna--were reportedly arrested without charges on May 21, 2008,

in dawn raids on as many as 24 homes and offices. The raids were

noteworthy for the lack of information disclosed by Austrian

authorities about the reasons for them and the findings of the police

investigators.

" Ten people are being held in pre-trial detention, which

could last for months, accused of 'forming a criminal organization,' "

said the Farm Animal Reform Movement in a supporting statement.

" Seven, including President of the Austrian Association Against

Animal Factories Professor Martin Balluch, are on a hunger strike

and becoming very weak, " FARM added. Balluch, hunger striking

for 20 days as ANIMAL PEOPLE went to press, was said to have been

hospitalized.

FARM and other organizations on June 11, 2008 demonstrated

in support of Balluch and the other detainees at Austrian embassies

and consulates in at least 12 U.S. and northern European cities.

Wrote Victor Schonfeld in a June 5, 2008 Guardian guest

column, " Balluch's lawyer, Stephan Traxler, has been shown excerpts

from a police surveillance dossier of several thousand pages

concerning minor acts of vandalism against fur shops and food

establishments perpetrated by unknown persons over recent

years--incidents of windows broken, stink bombs set off and locks

glued. In no instance were people hurt or attacked and no evidence

linking the vandalism with the detainees has been offered. The

planned launch of an initiative for an Austrian constitutional

amendment about animal welfare has had to be postponed. It's hard

not to conclude that was the objective of the police action. "

Schonfeld in 1973 produced The Animals Film, a documentary

narrated by Julie Christie, remembered as one of the major

influences in sparking the rise of the animal rights movement.

Alleged Association Against Animal Factories managing

director Harald Balluch, brother of Martin Balluch, " This police

action is designed to discredit the work being done for animals.

Through the police raids, our office along with four others has been

brought to a standstill. Our computers with our complete data bank

have been taken, along with all our mobile phones and years of

research material. We have no possibility of contacting our

supporters. Our phone and fax lines were also out of order for some

time after the raid, making contact with media impossible. "

Martin and Harald Balluch and their girlfriends shared a Vienna flat.

" I awoke to the sound of the door being broken in, " Harald

Balluch recounted in a written statement. " Immediately armed and

masked people surrounded my bed where my girlfriend and I were

sleeping and aimed their weapons at us. They screamed at me that

they would shoot me in the head if I moved. We have two elderly

rescued dogs, who were brutally manhandled. As you can imagine, all

four of us were absolutely terrified. "

" Balluch has a double Ph.D. in physics and philosophy, and

is a former colleague of Stephen Hawking at Cambridge University, "

wrote Schonfeld.

But Balluch is also a former associate of Barry Horne, a

British activist who was convicted in November 1997 of committing a

string of arsons against druggists, allegedly to protest against

vivisection. Sentenced to serve 18 years in prison, Horne died on

November 5, 2002, at age 49, after a two-week hunger strike, at

least his fifth hunger strike since his conviction. Involved in

animal advocacy since 1983, Horne had reportedly been arrested at

least five times and convicted at least twice before in connection

with " direct action " protest between 1988 and 1996.

Balluch recalled his acquaintance with Horne and

demonstrations he led on Horne's behalf in recent interviews with the

online magazine The Abolitionist and the podcast radio series Animals

Voices.

Espousing a more cautious and selective tactical approach

than Horne and other militant British activists, Balluch has favored

classic civil disobedience over covert action, and has emphasized

doing mainstream political organizing to capitalize on favorable

publicity after actions that disclose obvious cruelty to animals.

In March 2003, for instance, Balluch conducted an " open

rescue " of seven hens from a farm in Kleinsierning. " There were six

chickens in battery cages which by law should have held only four, "

Balluch told media. " Dead chickens were rotting in the cages. The

rescued birds were seriously ill, and one had to be put down " by the

emergency veterinary clinic to which Balluch and a reporter took the

hens at approximately 3 a.m.

Balluch complained to the Austrian veterinary authorities.

The farmer was fined 200 euros and was ordered to reduce his caging

density. Balluch was convicted of theft, but the Austrian High

Court in June 2004 reversed the conviction, two weeks after the

Austrian parliament--responding to strongly favorable coverage of the

" open rescue " --passed a new national humane law that prohibits

battery caging.

Balluch in January 2008 lost a yearlong bid to have a

chimpanzee named Matthew Hiasl Pan declared legally a person, when

the Austrian Supreme Court rejected his last appeal. The chimp and a

companion, Rosi, lived at a now bankrupt sanctuary. Balluch sought

personshood status for Matthew Hiasl Pan as a test case, hoping to

prevent him from being sold abroad, beyond Austrian protection.

Matthew Hiasl Pan and Rosi were both captured in Sierra Leone in 1982

and smuggled into Austria for laboratory use, but were rescued by

Austrian customs agents.

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year;

for free sample, send address.]