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Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!
S. A. E. N.
"Exposing the truth to wipe out animal experimentation"

Newsletters
The Defender
From Fall 2008 Issue

Correction about News Media Linking SAEN to CA Firebombings

Santa Cruz Biotechnology and TB Holdings (of Berkeley) have earned the distinction of being the “Worst Laboratories in the State of California” by collectively amassing a whopping 62 violations of the Animal Welfare Act during 2006 – 2007. On August 1, 2008, SAEN issued a press release to announce the bestowing of this “honor” on these two private labs to Santa Cruz and Berkeley media outlets.

Unbeknownst to SAEN, the following day, two firebombs were set, apparently to target researchers connected with the University of California, Santa Cruz. Due to the timing and proximity of SAEN’s press release about an unrelated private research lab in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Sentinel reporters tried to sensationalize the story of the firebombing by implying a connection between SAEN’s press release and the incidents at UC Santa Cruz.

One of the most misleading versions of this story was published in the San Jose Mercury News with the inflammatory title: Firebombs target UC-Santa Cruz scientists who use Animals in Research. An excerpt from the story reads:

“The Santa Cruz incidents occurred one day after a mass e-mailing by Stop Animal Exploitation Now!, or SAEN, highlighting what the group called "mounting violations of the animal welfare act" at private labs in Santa Cruz and Berkeley. Police would not say whether there is a connection between the group and Saturday's violence. Clark would only say authorities are looking at several animal liberation groups, including SAEN.”

This is clearly one of the most serious examples of misleading reporting that we have ever seen. No “mass emailing” occurred -- only a press release to 30 – 40 media outlets about an entirely different lab which just happened to be in the same city.

Unfortunately, this deceptive news story was picked up in many news outlets in California and beyond. Upon receiving our clarification, many of these news outlets corrected the story. However, to this day, the San Jose Mercury News still refuses to make any corrections.

We want to reassure all SAEN supporters that SAEN had absolutely nothing to do with the events surrounding the University of California, Santa Cruz firebombings. In fact, we weren’t even aware that they had occurred until the news media began to contact us for comment. Our response was simple. SAEN could not possibly have been involved, as we believe that all life is sacred.

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