FUR COMMISSION USA PRESS RELEASE, JULY 28, 2010
At about 2:30 in the morning of Tuesday, July 27, a series of explosions echoed through the night in tiny Astoria, Oregon, destroying a family car, a boat and a barn full of equipment. A husband and wife, their son and grandmother were sleeping just yards from the inferno which could have killed them.
Since the property was formerly a mink farm targeted by domestic terrorists in the past, this arson, which involved the use of incendiaries, may be the work of animal rights extremists. An anonymous claim of guilt was published on the website of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, with a commentary by convicted eco-terrorist Peter Young.
The owners of the property were not on site. They had retired in 2009 after 30 years of success raising mink for pelts used in the natural fiber cold weather clothing business. All the livestock housing had also been removed from the property.
Just a few hours later, animal rights extremist Jordan Halliday changed his plea to guilty to a contempt charge related to his refusal to cooperate with a Utah grand jury investigation into a string of attacks on mink farms, including the farm in Astoria.
The Astoria farm was one of several targeted during a 2008 eco-terrorism crime spree in two US states and Canada. On Aug. 19 of that year, the terrorists struck in South Jordan, Utah, followed by Scio, Oregon (Sept. 4), Aldergrove, BC, Canada (Sept. 18), Kaysville, Utah (Sept. 21), and lastly Astoria (Oct. 17). Threats and claims of guilt were issued in the names of the “Animal Liberation Front” and “Vegan Straight Edge”.
Along with Halliday, two other Utah men, all with histories in the extreme vegan straight edge/hate edge movement, were convicted of the Utah crimes.
Fur Commission USA is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to a conviction related to any of these crimes. Anyone with information is asked to call 503-325-8635 or 503-325-2061 after hours. Tips related to the investigation can also be reported to the Oregon arson hot line at 800-452-7888 or the Portland FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at 503-224-4181.
