Support Mel Broughton

“There is no such thing as justice.” ~Clarence Darrow, 1936

“The more corrupt the republic, the more numerous the laws.” ~Tacitus, Annals

I. Mel Broughton
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Mel Broughton has been fighting for animal rights for over 30 years. He’s worked in animal sanctuaries and campaigned against zoos, circuses, factory farms and live exports. In order to liberate Rocky — a dolphin that had been captured and confined in a concrete pool since 1971 — Broughton helped raise £120,000 to “purchase” him from Marineland, and in 1991 the dolphin was transferred and released.[1] Although he was never convicted of a single violent act, in 1999 Broughton was sentenced to four years for a conspiracy conviction.

Emerging from prison, Broughton waged a concerted campaign against the vivisection complex. In fact, Pro-Test was formed as a direct response to the SPEAC (subsequently, SPEAK) campaigns.

On February 13, 2009, he was sentenced to ten years in prison for conspiracy to commit arson.[2] According to Support Mel Broughton, the evidence included:

* His moral support for illegal direct action, which he was open about;
* His previous convictions for arson, which again is no secret;
* His speeches against the Oxford lab, which were perfectly legal;
* Possession of some sparklers, which isn’t illegal;
* Supposed DNA evidence on an match found on an incendiary device, which an expert claimed in court to be fatally flawed.

WRITE TO MEL!
M. Broughton (A3892AE),
HMP Frankland,
Brasside, Durham,
DH1 5YD

You can send: an SAE; a small, non ring-binded calendar;
Postal Orders made out on front to “HMPS”,
with Mel’s name and number on back, and also the sender’s name and address if there is room.
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II. The SPEAC & SPEAK Campaigns
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video one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuvRhdaOiDc

video two:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0toyU4o3GcE

“I would say that it is a form or terrorism. In fact, I would call animal rights extremists terrorists. The way they have created this reign of terror in the country where scientists are afraid to speak out… it is our job now to make a stand” – Sadistic Monkey Mutilator Tipu Aziz ( http://speakcampaigns.org/sitepages.php?a=22)

In 2002, Cambridge University announced plans to build a massive new primate “research” center. A two-week public inquiry commencing on November 26, 2002 proved “that when there is an opportunity to have a real public hearing where both sides present scientific evidence, the animal researchers cannot substantiate their claims.”[3] Weighing the unimpeachable testimony of the anti-vivisection scientists[4] against the arguments made by industry terrorists in bloody white coats, the government-appointed Planning Inspector ruled against Cambridge University finding that the project was not in the national interest.[5]

Prime Minister Tony Blair and billionaire David (Lord) Sainsbury – who effectively bought the title Science Minister — issued a decree overturning the Inspector’s decision and in July 2003, Mel Broughton and Robert Cogswell founded “Stop Primate Experiments at Cambridge” (SPEAC).[6] Determined to prevent the laboratories from being built, a mass coordinated movement to oppose construction commenced. Through non-violent actions, they organized an effective assault of relentless pressure against the university.

On January 26, 2004, Cambridge halted construction citing “substantial financial risks for the University.”[7]

Broughton and Cogswell soon learned of Oxford University’s plans to build new “research” buildings, including chambers to imprison nonhuman primates. SPEAC re-emerged as “The Voice for the Rights of Animals” (SPEAK) campaigning to stop the Oxford lab and to end all animal testing in the U.K.

III. The Immaculate Conception of Pro-Test
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The “About Us” section of the Pro-Test (hereinafter “Pro-Torture”) website states:

“Pro-Test was formed in January 2006 by Laurie Pycroft, a 16-year-old frustrated with the way that those opposed to vivisection (testing on animals for the purpose of scientific progress) were dominating the public debate on animal research. For well over a year, groups like SPEAK had been protesting the University of Oxford’s construction of a new Biomedical Research Facility on South Parks Road, Oxford.”

I have no doubt that Laurie Pycroft was a frustrated 16-year-old, but I suspect it was due to social ineptitude, not animal rights activists. Given that he was a disengaged high-school drop-out[8] and that he entertained himself by blogging in dirty underwear while wallowing in his filthy bedroom,[9] the only mystery is how much money he sold his, umm, services for. Keep in mind that Pycroft’s supposed brainchild is now run by a committee of ten industrial abusers, one of whom is Tipu Aziz.[10] The empathy-deficient terrorist is featured in the two videos embedded in this article, along with his tormented victims.

Pycroft’s counterpart, Tom Holder, set up Speaking of Research in the U.S. in March 2008.[11] A year later, the abomination known as J. David Jentsch – vivisector and vocal advocate of violence against animals – formed UCLA Pro-Torture.[12] Interestingly, while the entertainingly-inane Holder[13] is the spokesperson for Pro-Torture in the U.S., just like the frustrated Pycroft in the U.K., this boy-wonder sits alongside Jentsch and 10 other industrial abusers on the Speaking of Research committee.

“We have to take them on directly; that’s what we plan to do … I’m not going to be afraid of these people; they’re thugs.” -J. David Jentsch

Clearly, a witless teenager is a far more sympathetic figure than a sadistic old vivisector with vacant eyes and dried blood under his dirty fingernails. But, while the U.K. and U.S. Pro-Torture committees of mutilators are pulling the strings of their pre-pubescent-looking puppets, we can rest assured that Pycroft and Holder are bathing in blood money.

Laurie Pycroft and Tom Holder want the public to believe that they are altruists, advocating barbarism to promote humanity. In an unedited discussion with Tom Holder, he writes:

“I have never been paid by anyone in the pharmaceutical industry.

My personal stake in this issue is my health (not that I have any pressing health issues) – to see animal research abolished is to risk future treatments that may benefit me and those close to me (and just about everyone else).”

But Tom is a blatant liar. So we can extrapolate that, as his mirror image, Laurie is also a paid vivisection whore – not an altruist. Tom Holder did not set up shop in the U.S. for his “health.” Americans for Medical Progress (AMP), a front group for Big Pharma and the vivisection industry, paid him to relocate and financed the inception of Speaking of Research.[14] According to their public organizational records, AMP’s stated objective is:

“Create an advocacy network for research among college students via campus presentations and outreach throughout the U.S. by AMP’s Public Outreach Fellow Tom Holder. Tom will stand in strong counterpoint to animal rights extremists who use threats and violence in their anti-research campaigns.”

IV. Mel Broughton is in Prison and the Violent Aberrations Rejoice
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Pro-Test spokesman, Tom Holder said:

“The conviction of SPEAK leader, Mel Broughton, is a victory of democratic process over extremism. With the recent success of several highs profile prosecutions of animal rights extremists, we hope that debate can now move towards the important issue of why animals are necessary in medical research. For most people, the issue of animal welfare has always been more important than animal rights, and with most extremists now in jail, research institutions, such as Oxford University, can move forward unhindered in their efforts to set a new gold standard in animal welfare.”

We live in a “might makes right” society. Cowardly vivisectors and their pathethic puppets are safely nestled in the bosom of a bureaucracy that certifies, regulates, and legitimates unconscionable violence against nonhuman animals.

This is not civilization. It’s symptomatic of a collective moral degeneracy orchestrated by a corrupt system that rewards depravity.

And while these vile specimens of humanity are compensated – finanacially and professionally – for their grotesque sadism, Mel Broughton has almost completed his first year with nine more to go.

In solidarity with Mel, every single activist needs to wage a personal campaign (whether it’s a letter or an MDA) against the Pro-Torture Network that organized to counter SPEAK. We are stronger collectively than alone.
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“Whatever it takes, we have to do it. The time has come for fighting, not talking.” -Mel Broughton
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[1] Wikipedia, “Mel Broughton – Activism”, ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Broughton#cite_ref-2).

[2] Oxford Mail, “Broughton gets 10 years for animal rights attacks,” February 13, 2009 ( http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/headlines/4124967.Broughton_gets_10_years_for_animal_rights_attacks/)

[3] Stop Whitecoat Welfare, “Proposed Cambridge University Lab Proven Unnecessary,” ( http://www.whitecoatwelfare.org/cambridge.shtml).

[4] X-CAPE, “Public Inquiry: Our Triumphant Performance,” ( http://www.x-cape.org.uk/inquiry.htm).

[5] SPEAK, The Voice for the Rights of Animals, “SPEAC – Stop Primate Experiments at Cambridge,” ( http://speakcampaigns.org/sitepages.php?a=13#cambridge)

[6] Ibid.

[7] Cambridge University Reporter, “Primate Research Facility at 307 Huntingdon Road: Notice,” January 26, 2004 ( http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2003-04/weekly/5949/4.html).

[8] Teachers.tv, “Laurie Pycroft: The Making of a Teenage Protester,” ( http://www.teachers.tv/video/30453).

[9] Guardian.co.uk, “Bedroom blogger, 16, takes on animal rights protesters,” February 26, 2006 ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/feb/25/news.animalrights).

[10] Wikipedia: Pro-Test ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro-Test)

[11] Wikipedia: Speaking of Research ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaking_of_Research).

[12] Speaking of Research, “Pro-Test @ UCLA,” ( http://speakingofresearch.com/get-involved/ucla-pro-test/).

[13] Negotiation is Over, “Tom Holder’s Astounding Inanities Caught on Tape,” October 20, 2009 ( http://negotiationisover.com/?p=3164).

[14] Sourcewatch: Americans for Medical Progress, ( http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_for_Medical_Progress).