Box 1. From Band of Mercy to Unnecessary Fuss

According to the ALF manifesto, Behind the Mask: Uncovering the Animal Liberation Front, the origin of extreme animal rights action against vivisection can be traced to the underground UK group Band of Mercy, named after an anti-hunting faction from the 1800s. The group was led by Ronnie Lee and Cliff Goodman, and in 1973, it took credit for burning a half-completed vivisection building in Buckinghamshire, UK. Lee and Goodman were arrested in 1974 for an incident at Oxford Laboratory Colonies in Bicester, UK, and both spent time in prison. They diverged upon freedom: Goodman flipped and became a police informer; Lee formed ALF in 1976.

When ALF migrated to the US is difficult to pin down, but by the early 1980s, individuals associating themselves with the group were stealing animals from universities and research labs across the country. A break-in led to the unpleasantly memorable Unnecessary Fuss movie that subsequently shut down a head injury lab. But as the 1980s waned and lab security tightened, arson rose in popularity because of its high economical damage. The University of California at Davis animal diagnostics lab was burned in 1987, causing an estimated $4.5 million in damage.