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SHAC campaigns are based on direct action, protests and demonstrations against HLS, its employees, its employees' families and all of its business partners. By targeting clients, employees, suppliers, insurers and even the caterers and cleaners of the laboratory, SHAC is aiming to scare away HLS' clientele and to render the laboratory work as difficult and costly as possible.
SHAC is not a closed organisation, but an assembly of independent groups with shared goals who are responsible for their own actions. Compare Covert cells. As an organization, SHAC says it refrains from any action that might physically harm human or non-human animals. However, destruction of property and the intimidation of HLS supporters is deemed acceptable.
Direct action used by SHAC supporters includes violence, harassment, intimidation with death-threat letters and hoax bombs, along with arson, trespass, vandalism and destruction of property. Despite the official policy, physical attacks on HLS executives have happened, such as the assault of Brian Cass, who runs HLS. [1].
A SHAC website and mailing list serves as a platform for the different groups. Action reports from these groups are published on the website and mailed out to supporters. Also published are possible targets of the campaign and the companies that have severed their links with HLS. Publishers of the mailing list have been jailed in the past for criminal incitement. [2]
SHAC supporters consider their campaign a success in scaring off HLS's business. SHAC maintains a list of companies that have severed business relations with HLS [3]. As of 2004, this includes 88 companies and organisations.
The UK Department of Trade and Industry had to insure HLS, as all previous insurers abandoned HLS after they were targeted by SHAC.
In 2000, SHAC obtained a list of HLS shareholders. This list included the names of beneficial owners: anonymous persons and companies who bought shares using the name of a third person. Shareholders included the pension funds of the Labour Party, Rover cars and Camden Council . This list was leaked to the press and the Sunday Telegraph ran it as their lead story. Several beneficial owners disposed of their shares after publication. Two weeks later, an equity stake of 32 million shares was placed on the London Stock Exchange for one pence each. HLS quotes crashed immediately. The Royal Bank of ScotlandThe Royal Bank of Scotland is one of Scotland's four national clearing banks and one of the oldest in the UK, founded in Edinburgh in 1727 by Royal Charter. Today it is the largest bank in Scotland, the second largest in the UK and Europe, and the fifth l closed HLS's bank account and the UK government forced the Bank of EnglandThe Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom, sometimes known as "The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street" or "The Old Lady". Functions of the bank It performs all the recognized functions of a central bank to maintain price stability, and su to give them an account. The British Banking Association said "Huntingdon Life Sciences are in a nightmare situation."
On 21 December 2000, HLS was dropped from the New York Stock ExchangeThe New York Stock Exchange NYSE is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world. The NYSE is operated by the not-for-profit corporation New York Stock Exchange, Inc, with its main building located at 18 Broad Street, at the corner of Wall Street, in N because of HLS's share collapse: HLS's market capitalisation had fallen below NYSE limits, and the NYSE did not accept HLS's revised business plan to restore its position. [4] On 29 March 20012001 is a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and also: The International Year of the Volunteer The United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations Events January January 1 A black monolith measuring approximately nine feet tall ap, HLS lost both of its market makerA market maker is a person or a firm which quotes a buy and sell price in a financial instrument or commodity hoping to make a profit or the turn on the spread i. the difference between the buying and selling price. Most stock exchanges operate on a matchs and its place on the main platform of London Stock Exchange.
Due to SHAC's use of public records in the sending of malicious threats to all investors in HLS, HLS moved its financial centre to the United States and incorporated in Maryland as Life Sciences Research, Inc., in order to take advantage of stricter U.S. securities laws, which allow greater anonymity of shareholders. HLS currently trades on the NASDAQ's OTC Bulletin Board as "LSRI". Maryland allows shareholders with less than 5% holdings to remain anonymous.
Partly due to this experience, the UK government has changed the law so that smaller investors in a company are not publicly listed.
HLS was saved from bankruptcy when the HLS's largest shareholder, American investment bank Stephens, Inc , gave HLS a 15-million-dollar loan. SHAC supporters were furious and immediately began to target Stephens, Inc. [5] Chairman Warren Stephens's home had its windows smashed and was sprayed with red paint. [6] Animal Liberation Front supporters smashed all the windows and glass doors in a Utah "Bed Bath and Beyond" store, not because it has anything to do with animal research, but because it was also invested in by Stephens, Inc. [7]
As investors can now remain anonymous and avoid being targeted by animal rights activists, HLS is no longer in financial dire straits. In consequence, SHAC has gone back to targeting customers rather than investors of HLS.
SHAC supporters have infiltrated Huntingdon Life Sciences several times and were able to shoot video footage and photos from inside the laboratories.