In Memory: Barry Horne

On November 6, 2001 animal liberation prisoner Barry Horne died due to liver failure as while on hunger strike. It has been reported that this latest hunger strike was in protest at the Government's disastrous handling of the foot & mouth crisis in England.

The UK ELP used to list Barry simply as "serving 18 years for various anti-vivisection arsons and attempted arsons." Barry was arrested while planting incendiary devices inside an animal abusers store in Bristol. Once caught, the police charged Barry with arsons against the Boots company on the Isle of Wight that had gone previously unsolved. He was found guilty of attempted arson in Bristol and arson on the Isle of Wight. While in jail, Barry, started a hunger strike to get the then newly elected Labour Government to honor their manifesto commitments to holding a Royal Commission into the use of animals in experiments. This hunger strike was only called off when the Government gave assurances that they would look at the issue of vivisection. They reneged on these assurances and Barry restarted his hunger strike. It is unclear why his second hunger strike came to an end, but it is believed the Government had offered him some sort of negotiation. Again they lied. Barry then carried out a series of other hunger strikes, the last one proving fatal. A memorial service was held shortly after his death by hundreds of animal liberation activists.