''Bite Back'' is a Malaysian-registered website and magazine that promotes the cause of the

animal liberation movement The animal rights (AR) movement, sometimes called the animal liberation, animal personhood, or animal advocacy movement, is a social movement that seeks an end to the rigid moral and legal distinction drawn between human and non-human animals, ...

, and specifically the

Animal Liberation Front The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is an international, Leaderless resistance, leaderless, decentralized political and social resistance movement that engages in and promotes non-violent direct action in protest against incidents of animal cruelt ...

(ALF).Radical animal rights magazine issues 2004 "Direct Action" report
, ''Law Enforcement Agency Resource Network'', January 25, 2005. According to ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'', the name is inspired by an arson campaign targeting the American fur industry throughout the 1990s.Unmasked: animal extremist waging war on Oxford
''The Sunday Times'', February 19, 2006. Its founder and editor, Nicolas Atwood, has said that ''Bite Back's'' mission is to "support animal rights prisoners of conscience and report on current events in the struggle."Laville, Sandra & Booth, Robert
"Scientists to speak out for animal tests"
''The Guardian'', February 24, 2006. The website also receives anonymous communiques of

political Justice ''Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and its Influence on Morals and Happiness'' is a 1793 book by the philosopher William Godwin, in which the author outlines his political philosophy. It is the first modern work to expound anarchism. Backg ...

, including those by the

Animal Rights Militia The Animal Rights Militia (ARM) is a banner used by animal rights activists who engage in direct action utilizing a diversity of tactics that ignores the Animal Liberation Front's policy of taking all necessary precautions to avoid harm to human ...

(ARM),

Justice Department A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

and Animal Liberation Brigade.

Background

''Bite Back'' was set up in 2001 by Atwood, an animal rights activist in

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...

.Personal details released as animal rights activists call for direct action
''The Oxford Student'', February 24, 2006. In March 2005, Atwood set up a Florida-based company, Bite Back Inc, to operate the site and magazine sales.

Magazine

As of February 2021, the magazine's website notes that the magazine is being published on an irregular schedule and no new subscriptions are being accepted.

Forum

''Bite Back'' acts as a forum for ALF activists, and a place they can leave claims of responsibility for

direct action Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...

taken in pursuit of animal liberation.Fickling, David
Animal rights activist admits firebombing attempts
''The Guardian'', August 17, 2006. In 2006, it was used to encourage attacks against

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, publishing personal details of academics and calling on supporters to "do whatever it takes" to "blow these fucking monsters off the planet". In 2007, when incendiary devices were found at Templeton College, Oxford, ''Bite Back'' reported a claim of responsibility on behalf of the Animal Liberation Front: "This latest action is part of an ongoing fight against the University of Oxford and its continued reign of terror over the unseen victims inside its animal labs."Payne, Stewart
"Animal activists plant bombs at Oxford college"
''The Daily Telegraph'', February 27, 2007. The

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

, while reportedly aware of the site, say action against it would breach the

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

protecting

freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

. In 2005, Bite Back published a "Direct Action Report," listing action carried out by activists on a global scale. It writes that, in 2004, 17,262 animals were liberated, and 554 acts of

sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

, vandalism and

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

were carried out.

Notes

External links

Bite Back website

Bite Back magazine
{{Animal rights, state=uncollapsed, media 2001 establishments in Florida Animal Liberation Front Independent magazines Magazines about animal rights Magazines established in 2001 Magazines published in Florida Political magazines published in the United States

Background

Magazine

Forum

See also

Notes

External links