Erin Fitzgerald was never a big animal lover when she was younger, but she knew they shouldn’t be coats.

Now, Fitzgerald, along with other Student Animal Rights Organization members will host three-day, first of its kind Animal Liberation Conference, exploring the ideas of why animals shouldn’t be abused and used for profit.

The conference, starting today in Grant Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. and running through Sunday, is aimed at educating others on animal liberation.

‘Animal liberation is ending exploitation of animals for money in a capitalist society – fur, farm factories, even zoos and aquariums,’ said Fitzgerald, a sophomore undeclared major in The College of Arts and Sciences.

Fitzgerald said factory farms are different from what most people imagine as the typical farm.

‘It’s not Old McDonald’s farm,’ she said. ‘The animals have no room to move around in, and then they are slaughtered without any thought to their pain.’

The situation is similar for zoos, Fitzgerald said.

‘Some do good work and educate, some are just looking to make money,’ she said.

The conference is an attempt to give legitimacy to the animal liberation movement and foster dialogue, Fitzgerald said.

We’re bringing in people from all over the country, said Tony Nocella, a graduate student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and SARO member.

The cost to organize this conference is estimated to be thousands of dollars, said Billy Pruz, SARO member and sophomore social work major. SARO expects about 250 participants.

‘Controversial’ refers to the Animal Liberation Front – which has been tagged as a ‘terrorist group’ by the government based on some of their demonstration tactics, Pruz said.

The conference will specifically focus on the ideas presented in the book co-edited by Nocella, ‘Terrorists or Freedom Fighters.’

‘SARO is in complete support (of the activists),’ he said. ‘It’s not terrorism at all. In order to free animals from fur factories and other places, (the activists) are breaking the law to get the animals out.’

While SARO does not employ such extreme measures as breaking into buildings, the group still supports the direct action tactics but instead performs nonviolent, legal demonstrations, Pruz said.

Many of the presenters at the conference have been accused of affiliation with the ALF, but since the front is run by anonymous cells, there is no way to check who the members of the ALF are, Pruz said.

Nocella presented a half-hour film clip, entitled ‘Fire in their Eyes,’ to SARO members at their April 17 meeting. The film is about a group of activists trying to save parts of the Red Wood Forest in California. The activists were sprayed with pepper spray directly into their eyes as a tactic by the police to remove the demonstrators from private property. A judge ruled the tactic legal.

‘It’s not going to happen to everybody,’ Nocella said. ‘(It won’t happen) standing in front of (a fur store) holding a poster. But it has a lot to do with what we’ll be defending and explaining.’

Nocella said presenters at the conference will address their direct involvement in demonstrations such as the Red Wood Forest.

‘They’ll probably say ‘I went through torture for what I believe in,” Nocella said. ‘And that’s awesome. With out a doubt it will be amazing.’

Pruz said he hopes any student interested, not just vegan students or animal lovers, will come to ask questions and learn as much as possible about the animal rights movement.

‘It’s not a radical-looking conference, Pruz said. ‘It’s a radical subject matter, but it’s not a hippy punk conference by any means.’

Published on April 22, 2004 at 12:00 pm