The Animal People, the Story Behind the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) Activists
“500 animals die every single day in Huntingdon Live Sciences, where they terrorize and mutilate animals.”
From Executive Producer, Joaquin Phoenix, a chilling portrait of what happens when activism shakes the institutions of power and threatens to successfully close down a major corporation. More than ten years in the making, the feature documentary THE ANIMAL PEOPLE, follows a grassroots campaign of seven young activists called Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), who formed to fight the horrific and brutal animal cruelty conducted by Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS)—the largest animal testing laboratory in the world, based in England.
The documentary examines what happens to the SHAC activists who started their campaign to shut down Huntingdon Labs in 1999, and quickly became one of the largest FBI investigations in U.S. history, ultimately leading to the indictment of the activists by the U.S. government on federal terrorism laws in 2006. The film depicts the brutal industry of vivisection and the cruelty of animal testing by laboratories; how our First Amendment and Constitutional rights are jeopardized when they threaten American business and profits; and the absolute power our government and the influence of corporate America has on our legal system and how cases are actually prosecuted.
The outcome of this case not only had an enormous impact on animal rights activism—but furthered a legal system that weakens American’s First Amendment rights to protest and speak out against American corporations and industry. The underlying message of the film highlights the absolute power that corporations are allowed to have in the U.S–over and above individual American rights, American lives, and the laws that are designed to protect American citizens—but do not. Though there was no evidence that any of the defendants committed any of the violence to property—federal authorities convicted the easiest target they could find, right in front of them.
One of the biggest impacts of this case was the broadening of the unconstitutional power of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act in 2006, that has led to the establishment of several U.S. state Ag-Gag laws that are designed to silence, prosecute and incarcerate journalists, reporters, investigative reporters, and photographers who document animal cruelty and animal abuse seen on U.S. business property in animal industries.
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act ( Established in 1992 (George H.W. Bush, Republican President / Broadened in 2006under George W. Bush, Republican President) – the federal U.S. government passed a law that prohibits any person from engaging in certain conduct “for the purpose of damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise.” The statute covers any act that either “damages or causes the loss of any real or personal property” or “places a person in reasonable fear” of injury. In 2006, lawmakers significantly broadened the purpose of AETA to prohibit any person from “damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise.”
Some Notes
SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty)
Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, Encyclopedia.com
Huntingdon Today
Huntingdon Life Sciences now has changed its name to Envigo. Same company, different name. HLS merged with multiple companies to create Envigo, expanding their size to 50 locations in 14 countries, all testing on animals.
American Constitution / First Amendment Right
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Beagle Freedom Project – https://bfp.org
Beagle Freedom Project is a non-profit animal rescue and advocacy organization and the world’s leading organization for rescuing and rehoming animals used in experimental research. BFP is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of animals used in testing and research and subjected to other forms of unique cruelty, abuse and neglect. BFP strives to end this cruelty through its educational programs, campaign initiatives and lobbying efforts to make the world a better, safer and healthier place for both animals and people alike.
Beagle Freedom Bill, https://bfp.org/state/
BFP’s life-saving legislative effort is enacting laws which ensure dogs and cats used for testing and experimentation get every opportunity to have a life after labs and get adopted into loving homes. New Jersey and five states have mandated any tax-payer funded research laboratory must give the dogs and cats up for public adoption, when the research is done.
Film Length: 1 Hour, 36 Minutes
Film Released: 2019
Watch the Film
Stream on Amazon
Stream on Apple TV
Watch on VUDU
Film Reviews
Film Review on The Intercept, How the Prosecution of Animal Rights Activists as Terrorists Foretold Today’s Criminalization of Dissent
Film Review in the NY Times, Accused of Aiding Animals, by Making Prey of People
Quotes from the Film
“There was no direct evidence of any unlawful conduct in this case. When you have a zealous prosecution, you have created a ticking time bomb as far as the punishment of those activities. It’s about appeasing the business interest – having the back of the pharmaceutical industry.”
“500 animals die every single day in Huntingdon Live Sciences, that terrorized and mutilated animals.”
“The system of justice does not exist, it is so stacked against the defense and so supportive of the prosecution.”
“You gotta have an awful lot of heart to do what we do to fight for animals that you have never met, have never seen, and never will meet.”
“Violence, sabotage, property destruction, threats of violence, coercive threats – is what moves history and creates change, and always has.”
“Without struggle, there is not progress – unless you are willing to rise up and fight with your hands, nothing changes.”
“The federal government and elected officials have now criminalized boycotts and traditional forms of protest, so that any threat that causes a loss of profit to a corporation – is now an act of terrorism.”
“When the law is an instrument of power, it doesn’t matter what you say, and the First Amendment cannot protect you.”
“I feel like I’ve been lied to about these rights that we supposedly have in the U.S.”
“The jury will never hear why we did it.”
“Huntingdon Life Sciences commits horrific acts of cruelty against animals.”
“Huntingdon Life Sciences are puppy killers and brutal murderers.”
“End the scientific and medical fraud in the U.S. that perpetrates the worst animal cruelty.”
“Don’t get sad, get even!”
“The sole reason I chose to Stop Huntingdon Life Sciences for all my animal rights work, is the footage and how extremely cruel they were.”
“Every ounce of progress we have had toward a more just world, is because there were people who were willing to fight, people who were willing to sacrifice, and willing to suffer—for justice. They are out of their comfort zone, and against all odds.”
“The message that came to the workers in Huntingdon Life Sciences Lab in the U.S. is ‘Don’t get caught doing anything like that (beating the animals).’ The animals are treated horribly, they are suffering—it’s all about the dollar bill and money. It’s all true what you hear about Huntingdon and laboratories. All true.”
“Huntingdon took one hit after the next, shareholders, insurance companies and banks backed away from it. What saved it was a $33 million dollar bailout from one U.S. company. It was Stephens, Inc., that bought their debt and allowed them to survive. Warren Stephens would not divest their holdings in Huntingdon Life Sciences.”
“Corporations get to do what they want in our society.”
“Sally DIllenback, wife of CEO of Huntingdon Life Sciences lied on the stand to get SHAC prosecuted.”
“The animal rights issue always spoke to me, because there was such a lack of voices speaking out for animals.”
“Marilyn Carroll, a psychiatry professor in Minnesota, took monkeys and fed them crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana to get them addicted. We had to make it personal.”
“This wasn’t about solving a crime, this was about sending a message that you better shut up!”
“Warren Stephens, CEO, finally sold his stock in the medical testing lab Huntingdon. We won against the billionaire brat. But someone else bought the damn shares again!”
“We see the ebb and flow where the money is, we could figure it all out, then we could start picking these places apart—financially.”
“We are going to be a royal pain in the ass, and a rude awakening – to any company associated with Huntingdon Life Sciences.”
“Anyone who has studied resistance movements in this country, knows how the FBI has always been an enemy of the people who want to create change.”
“Protests at individual’s homes – we follow the law and instructions to a T, but we didn’t stop going.”
“The First Amendment protects advocacy, including advocacy of illegal actions—unless it meets the incitement speech. That speech has to promote imminent and lawless action.”
“The law protected what we were doing.”
“People need to develop skills to resist these multi-national corporations.”
“Economic sabotage, like the Boston Tea Party, is not terrorism, that’s American action.”
“When you have a grassroots group of kids that can impact who trades on the New York Stock Exchange—that makes the government nervous. The Senate passed more extensive legislation (Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act) in the middle of the night to pass the bill it through quickly.”
“A legitimate fear was if Huntingdon fell, then it could happen to any other company.”
“All the things that mattered to me before prison, matter to me even more now.”
“If we just keep picking and choosing who gets to be free in this country, we are never going to get anywhere.”
Workers at Huntingdon Life Sciences are documented in undercover investigations to be seen hitting, beating, kicking and attacking laboratory animals while also poking needles and conducting tests on them. Footage of workers are seen beating beagle dogs, screaming at them, torturing them—while drugging them. Workers at Huntingdon Life Sciences are seen brutalizing and terrorizing laboratory animals.
Film Credits
Directed by: Casey Suchan, Denis Henry Hennelly
Executive Producer: Joaquin Phoenix
Producers: Joaquin Phoenix, Mikko Alanne, Ari Solomon, Casey Suchan, Sasha Perry
Appearances: Andrew Stepanian, Darius Fullmer, Lauren Gazzolla
