Violent direct action within the animal liberation movement can be traced back to the mid seventies, when extremists committed acts of vandalism against slaughterhouses, furriers, butchers shops, circuses, breeders, and fast-food restaurants. Such acts continue, and have led to more extreme activist tactics, such as bombings, arson, blackmail, threats, and boobey-trapped letters sent to human targets. American Trauma Surgeon and founder of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, Jerry Vlasik, has expressed his advocacy of violent direct action, saying, “peaceful means alone, will never achieve animal liberation.”

Extremists argue that acts of vandalism against company buildings, labs, etc., including those carried out with incendiary devices are not violent actions, as they do not inflict harm on sentient beings. There is, however, always the possibility of unintended human casualties.

Furthermore, these tactics are no different than those used in warfare, and are no less destructive and malicious. The act of destroying an inanament object, with the intention of causing any form of harm; in essence, is still an act of violence, as well as a form of bullying that insights fear amongst the public.

Threats and blackmail have also been used to intimidate the employees of establishments that mistreat animals, as activists try to force them to halt their operations. These tactics do nothing to change the animal abusers’ perception of animals, or to educate. In relaity, they only produce fear and hostility within society, as the public consequently views even peaceful animal liberation activists as terrorists.

Overall, violent animal liberation activism cannot be seen as a moral or ethical standpoint, as it invades human rights and causes more harm than good to the animal liberation movement as a whole.

It must be understood that animal cruelty is a problem that is deeply inbeded in human society and will not be conquered over night, even by violent means.

There are already many animal rights advocates who have made much progress using various methods of peaceful protest, education, and compassion for the rights of all animals; human and non-human. It is these methods that must be utilized if the animal liberation movement is to further evolve and succeed.