Five animal-rights activists and associates were permanently barred last week by a California court from harassing researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

The permanent injunction, awarded on 27 May, follows a temporary restraining order made in February last year (see Nature 451, 1041; 2008), which was converted into a preliminary injunction that April. It comes after repeated threats, including home invasions and fire bombings, aimed at UCLA researchers who use animals in experiments.

The activists were identified as associated with the Animal Liberation Front, the UCLA Primate Freedom Project or the Animal Liberation Brigade. Two of them face multiple felony counts for an alleged conspiracy of stalking and threatening UCLA researchers; their pre-trial hearing will be held on 14 July. Both pleaded not guilty.