ALF Liberate Goats from British Military Labs

The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) have broken into a military research centre and taken a group of goats that were due to be part of painful experiments.

According to a communiqué released by the individual cell responsible: "How many times have we heard that a job is impossible? That’s exactly what we thought when we heard about diving experiments being carried out for the navy by QinetiQ at the Centre for Human Sciences. Experience however has taught us that where there is a will, there’s a way."

Nine members of the ALF each took a goat and made off across a golf course to a waiting van. The group said it decided to take action after having received information that the animals are used for decompression tests by QinetiQ, which runs the Centre for Human Sciences.

"We had a tight time-scale, as reconnaissance had revealed this to be a busy area, surrounded by military bases. The difficult decision had been taken to only bring in one removal van, as loading any more in this area was going to bring it on top. Once dusk had settled we went to work, cutting through the perimeter fence of the ex-MOD base. Within minutes we had gained access to the goat enclosure and began rounding up the smaller animals."

The communiqué goes onto to say that "the nine beautiful young goats all made it safely to their new homes, where they can live out the rest of their natural lives free from a crushing death in the hyperbaric chamber."

The chamber is used for marine research. It simulates the decompression divers go through at varying depths and can result in the goats suffering from the bends, the effects of which include joint pain, visual disturbances, loss of balance, breathing difficulties, paralysis and death. A spokeswoman for QinetiQ said the tests it carries out are under strict guidelines from the Home Office.

However the communiqué states that "QinetiQ say that the tests are vital to help with submarine disasters, and other deep water emergencies. An example they give is of the Kursk, a Russian submarine which tragically sunk in 2001. QinetiQ claim that they gave ‘useful’ advice to the Russians. Despite the advice, all 118 people on board the Kursk died. The effects of compression and decompression are well known and documented.

"Ascending from deep sea too rapidly causes decompression sickness (or the “bends”) which can be fatal. The experiments being carried out by QinetiQ are sickening repeats, which have been going on for decades. As the French navy now use computer simulations and human trials it is high time the British MOD came out of the dark ages and began using ethical and reliable science. We call on QinetiQ to halt these experiments and hand all surviving animals over to suitable animal protection groups."

The communiqué ends by dedicating the action to Gari Allen, the long time animal rights campaigner and former ALF prisoner who recently died.