The kind folks over at Herbivore Magazine approached me about writing a very nuts and bolts, straightforward, simple-as-possible piece about the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, because there has been a lot of misinformation about what the law actually does, and does not, do. This is what we came up with, a kind of “Animal Enterprise […]
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA)
The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) sweepingly targets a wide range of political activity as “terrorism” if done in the name of animal rights. The greatest danger of this legislation, though, is the chilling effect it has had on law-abiding activists. Corporations and the politicians who represent them are using that word, “terrorism,” to make everyday people speak up for what they believe.
The AETA was passed in 2006, with just six members of Congress in the room, just hours after lawmakers and celebrities were on hand to break ground for the new memorial honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The law is so vague and broad that the non-violent tactics of MLK could be prosecuted as “terrorism.”
The bill expanded the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, the law used to convict the SHAC 7 of “animal enterprise terrorism†just months earlier.
How the AETA Works:
History of the AETA:
- Will Potter’s Congressional testimony on the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, H.R. 4239.
- The Animal Enterprise Protection Act (previous version of the law)
- Text of AETA, H.R. 4230, S. 3880
How the AETA Passed Congress:
- House Passes Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act With Little Discussion or Dissent
- Internal Industry Documents Show Plans for Labeling Activists as “Eco-Terrorists†(Part 1 of 3)
- Lobbying Documents Show How Corporations Snuck “Eco-Terrorism†Law Through Congress (Part 2)
- FBI’s 5-Step Process to Criminalize First Amendment Activity as “Terrorismâ€
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act Arrests
- FBI Arrests 4 Activists as “Terrorists†for Chalking Slogans, Leafleting and Protesting
- 2 Animal Rights Activists Arrested as “Terrorists†for Freeing Mink in Utah
- Dear Congress: You Lied to Me About the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
Here are some recent articles about the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act: