{"id":12808,"date":"2022-07-15T16:15:26","date_gmt":"2022-07-16T00:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/?p=12808"},"modified":"2022-07-20T16:19:50","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T00:19:50","slug":"an-extreme-voice-from-the-past-resurfaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/2022\/07\/15\/an-extreme-voice-from-the-past-resurfaces\/","title":{"rendered":"An Extreme Voice from the Past Resurfaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Jerry Vlasak, Who Has Repeatedly Proposed Killing Scientists, Seeks to Inspire the Next Generation of Animal Activists<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>July 15, 2022<\/em><\/p>\n

Americans for Medical Progress (Front Group for Vivisectors)<\/em><\/p>\n

Animal rights extremist Dr. Jerry Vlasak resurfaced earlier this summer\u00a0 to take part in a workshop hosted by Animal Activism Mentorship (AAM), a group which seeks to educate and influence future generations of activists. If you haven\u2019t previously heard of Dr. Vlasak,\u00a0a former trauma surgeon, that\u2019s because he\u2019s remained relatively silent for the past few years. He\u2019s best known for making several incredibly dangerous and deplorable comments in the past about the \u201cbenefits\u201d of killing health researchers who conduct research in animals.<\/p>\n

Here are just a few of the things Dr. Vlasak has said over the years:<\/p>\n

\u201cFor instance, if vivisectors were routinely being killed, I think it would give other vivisectors pause in what they were doing in their work \u2013 and if these vivisectors were being targeted for assassination, and call it political assassination or what have you, I think if \u2014 and I wouldn\u2019t pick some guy way down the totem pole, but if there were prominent vivisectors being assassinated, I think that there would be a trickle-down effect and many, many people who are lower on that totem pole would say, \u201cI\u2019m not going to get into this business because it\u2019s a very dangerous business and there\u2019s other things I can do with my life that don\u2019t involve getting into a dangerous business.\u201d And I think that the \u2014 strictly from a fear and intimidation factor, that would be an effective tactic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Animal Rights National Conference, 2003<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIf their father is willing to continue risking his livelihood in order to continue chopping up animals in a laboratory than his children are old enough to recognize the consequences. This guy knows what he is doing. He knows that every day that he goes into the laboratory and hurts animals that it is unreasonable not to expect consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0 Response to fire bombings of a car and a home belonging to two UC Santa Cruz biomedical researchers who conduct research in animals, Santa Cruz Sentinel \u2013 August 4, 2008<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2018I think violence is part of the struggle against oppression. If something bad happens to these people [animal researchers], it will discourage others. It is inevitable that violence will be used in the struggle and that it will be effective.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u201cKill Scientists, Says Animal Rights Chief\u201d The Guardian, July 25, 2004<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAnd I don\u2019t think you\u2019d have to kill \u2014 assassinate \u2014 too many vivisectors before you would see a marked decrease in the amount of vivisection going on. And I think for 5 lives, 10 lives, 15 human lives, we could save a million, 2 million, 10 million non-human animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Animal Rights National Conference, 2003<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAnd I \u2014 you know \u2013 people get all excited about, \u201cOh what\u2019s going to happen when \u2013 the ALF accidentally kills somebody in an arson?\u201d Well, you know I mean \u2014 I think we need to get used to this idea. It\u2019s going to happen, okay? It\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Animal Rights National Conference, 2003<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

Thankfully these past statements did not go unnoticed by authorities. In 2004, both Dr. Vlasak and his wife, fellow activist and actor Pam Ferdin were both banned from traveling to Great Britain based on Jerry\u2019s dangerous rhetoric. The two had planned to attend an animal rights conference. In 2006, Dr. Vlasak\u2019s violent comments were\u00a0 repeatedly quoted as federal lawmakers debated and then eventually passed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism\u00a0Act<\/a>, which sought to crack down on animal rights extremism.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s new?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since that time, violence and threats have thankfully declined. Dr. Vlasak\u2019s influence has diminished as well, until now. The purpose of AAM\u2019s recent webinar was to instruct activists how to avoid law enforcement detection and possible criminal charges while conducting illegal acts in the name of animal rights. Joseph Buddenberg, who\u00a0previously spent time in prison<\/a>\u00a0for extremist acts, served as Dr. Vlasak\u2019s co-presenter. Both of these individuals serve as \u201cNational Press Officers\u201d at the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, according to a website maintained by that organization.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Screenshot from Webinar Featuring Animal Liberation Press Officers Dr. Jerry Vlasak and Joseph Buddenberg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Throughout their nearly two-hour\u00a0presentation<\/a>\u00a0titled \u201cSecurity Culture: Staying Safe Online and Offline,\u201d Buddenberg and Vlasak discussed several items including:<\/p>\n