Spanish and Italian news

ELP Information Bulletin (24th June 2011) Dear friends News is coming in of a number
of arrests in Spain.  We've heard that some people may have been released but others
are still in custody and one person may be sent to prison.  Here is an offical
statement from a support campaign set up to support those arrested:
22/06/11 - OFFICIAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE 12 ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
ARRESTED IN SPAIN AND CALL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY ON
FRIDAY 24 JUNE

Twelve animal rights activists were arrested this morning by the Spanish
police, in a series of raids sanctioned by the judge from the
Magistrate's court, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. Arrests and
house searches of activists from the organisations Igualdad
Animal/Animal Equality and Equanimal took place in the regions of
Madrid, Asturias, Vizcaya and Galicia. The detained activists were then
taken to Santiago de Compostela court, where they were accused of
offences against the environment, public disorder, and criminal
association.

The origin of the investigations appears to be centred on the seemingly
intentional release of 20,000 minks from the farm Visones Bermúdez,
located in Santiago de Compostela, in November 2007, which would
indicate the supposed damage to the environment.

Both organisations have publicly condemned the deprivation of freedom,
torture and massacre of more than 300,000 minks every year by the
Spanish fur trade. These arrests therefore represent a clear attack by
the fur industry against animal activists for highlighting the horrors
of a practice in which the gassings, mutilations and captivity-induced
suffering of mink on fur farms are inherent and widespread.

These two organisations, which define their activism as being
non-violent, dedicate their efforts to raising public awareness of
animal rights, by informing society of the consequences of the
consumption of animal products and the promotion of alternatives. On the
other hand, even though the organisations were not involved in the mink
liberations, neither condemns these types of actions, to the extent that
they defend the interests of all animals regardless of species, as none
of the minks exploited by the fur industry deserves to live and die on a
Spanish fur farm.

Due to the fact that the authorities have no-one to hold responsible for
the mink liberations, the various members of Equanimal and Igualdad
Animal / Animal Equality have been arrested in an attempt to criminalise
the animal rights movement in Spain, as has already happened in other
European countries. The animal exploitation lobbies and powerful
multinationals wish to put the brakes on the animal rights movement in
Spain, and now we are seeing the arrival of repression.

Equanimal and Igualdad Animal/Animal Equality are holding two
simultaneous press conferences today 22/06/11 in order to read a
statement in response to the unjust arrests of these twelve activists
from both organisations, at 8pm in Madrid and Barcelona.

Tomorrow, Thursday 23 June, peaceful protests will also be held in
Madrid and Barcelona, in order for everyone who is against these arrests
to show their rejection of the events and display their support and
solidarity for the detained activists.

On Friday 24 June, we want to call for an Internationl day of solidarity
for the Spanish Activists.

Please consider to organize a demonstration in support to these
activists in front of Spanish embassies or in city centres on Friday,
the 24th of June!

HERE IT'S AVAILABLE THE EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES DATABASE:
http://www.offshorewave.com/embassies_show.php?country_id=193

Please send your demo reports and photos to info@animalequality.net
to spread it on our website. International support is extremely
important for victims of repression so show your solidarity,
take it to the streets! ELP will bring you more news on this story as we get it.
Moving on from Spanish to Italian news.  ELP has been informed about the arrests of
two people in Italy.  We've not got that much news on the arrests yet, but this is
what we have been told:

Two italian anarchists, Mattia, 26, and
Federico, 35, were arrested in the night between the 14th
and 15th of june in Milano (italy). The charge against
them is the carrying of explosive devices. They were stopped by a
police car as they were riding their bikes, their bags were searched
and the police found in one of them a device made of firelighter,
matches and a cigarette, that could be used for starting a fire. They
were arrested and after that Mattia's house was also searched: the
police took away a balaclava, a wig, some fireworks and an oil can.
Their arrest was confirmed by the
judge, so they could be held in prison until the date of the trial.
They are both anarchists and vegan, since long time involved in the
struggles for the earth and prisoners support, and against State,
capitalism and jail.



To write them:

Mattia Petit, Piazza
Filangieri, 2 - 20123 Milano, Italy

Federico Buono, Piazza
Filangieri, 2 - 20123 Milano, Italy ++++++ Earth Liberation Prisoners Support
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