The activities of British extremists have been curtailed by tough government legislation.

Researchers
who work with animals in the UK are feeling safer from harassment by
radical animal rights activists after tough legislation was brought
in by the government, observes Nature Neuroscience. In 2004,
the UK police formed a National Extremism Coordination Tactical Unit.
After two years of investigation in the UK, Belgium and the
Netherlands, 30 people have been brought to trial. Anti-social
behaviour orders have also been used to stifle agitation. “The
difference between intimidation and legitimate protest can be
difficult to define, but so far the UK authorities have done a good
job of making this distinction,” says the journal. Although
intimidation continues (some scientists refused to speak on the
record for the article, for instance), the situation is slowly
improving. Just as the UK led the world in animal extremism, “it
seems only fitting that it should lead the way in effectively dealing
with such extremism as well,” says the journal. ~ Nature
Neuroscience, Dec

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Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

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