Fwd: Activists homes raided in LA for making Pomegranate juice

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Activists homes raided in LAThis week, seven activists in Los Angeles had their homes raided inconnection with a campaign against the POM Wonderful juice company,makers of POM pomegranate juice and Figi water. POM has funded $10million in research into the health effects of its juice, includingconducting numerous studies on animals which included inducing erectiledisfunction and depriving newborn mice of oxygen to the brain. The raids are yet another transparent attempt by the government tostifle free speech at the request of large corporations (POM is based inSanta Monica, CA, the town whose police carried out the raids) - andanother sign of just how scared these animal-abusing companies are ofbeing picketed, protested, and exposed for what they do. POM executiveshave stated in court filings that they have left their homes

for up to aweek at a time for fear of being demonstrated against, and the LA Timesrecently covered the campaign and mentioned POM's cruel torture ofanimals. - ------------------------- This is on www.greenisthenewred.com In yet another odd twist in this Green Scare, POM Wonderful, the juicecompany, is using the scare tactics of the New McCarthyists to go afterone of its core consumer bases: the vegan, natural foods set. POM filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week,saying that a looming threat posed by illegal activism calls for banningactivists from protesting and posting information about the company ontheir websites. If you're totally confused right now, just wait, it gets more bizarre.Here's some background first: POM has built its juice empire by toutingthe health benefits of pomegranate juice on its website

and in thepress. Activists are pissed because they say the company spends millionson animal research to showcase the health benefits of juice, all thewhile branding itself as a caring, natural foods company. Animal testing for juice? Activists say POM's animal tests include lowering the brainoxygen levels in newborn mice to cause them brain injuries and 'forcingtheir mothers to drink water mixed with pomegranate concentrate,'"according to Jessica Garrison at The Los Angeles Times. It looks like POM isn't the first juice company to come under fire forthis. Welch's and Ocean Spray have both already caved to activistpressure. But POM doesn't want to follow suit: In their court papers, company officials say they believe the protestersare affiliated with the Animal Liberation Front, which the FBI has saidis a domestic terror threat. And the company is fighting back, asking ajudge to fine activists $1,000 if they post

personal information aboutPOM employees on websites. Company officials also want a judge to orderactivists not to picket or demonstrate outside the homes of the juicecompany's employees. As POM admits, though, no employees have experienced any violence aspart of this campaigning. At worst, employees have seen legal protestsat their homes, which can you can read more about on L.A. Indymedia. And even if property destruction or threats had taken place, theactivists responsible for those crimes should be prosecutedindependently: POM can't simply try to paint ALL protests of theirbusiness practices as illegal. It doesn't matter if POM "believes"activists are affiliated with the underground Animal Liberation Front,because that's not grounds for taking away basic First Amendment rights.POM clearly wants to silence activists that expose their businesspractices, and is willing to go to great lengths- including

this"eco-terrorist" scare-mongering- to do it. It shows the danger of all this "eco-terrorist" rhetoric: it sets aprecedent for anyone to use green baiting to silence dissent, even ajuice company targeting health-conscious vegan consumers."Get off your ass and take your government back." ~Rocky Ward

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