Barry Horne is known by many Animal Rights activists across the world for his shear dedication towards the movement. However in many people’s eyes, he’s seen as nothing more than a terrorist, just because of his (more than justifiable) extreme views on how to get a voice across!

He started to take an interest in Animal Rights from his early 30s. After his first ‘Animal Liberation’ meeting, he took more of a direct view on the subject, quickly becoming a keen Hunt Saboteur and taking part in a number of protests. In 1987 he joined the Northampton Animal Concern (NAC) and quickly became a well respected campaigner due to his role in a raid of a vivisection laboratory, these types of raids were very common during the 80s and the police were quick to point fingers at the ALF for similar actions. But the ALF put the middle finger up to authority and claimed responsibility for every action that took place, this stumped the police as there was/is no structure to the ALF which results in a lot of head scratching by investigative teams!!

1988 was the year in which Barry Horne came to public attention when himself and 4 other activists were out to rescue ‘Rocky’ the bottlenose dolphin from Marineland, Morecambe. On the night of the attempted rescue, they got pulled over by police, carrying equipment that would’ve been used to carry Rocky. There was clearly no explanation for carrying a ‘dolphin stretcher’ and they got remanded in custody. They were put on trial and after 5 days, they were all fined approximately £600 each and Horne and a fellow activist were sentenced to a six month suspended sentence, however this did not deter Horne to continue in his campaigns....

17th, March 1990, a small cell of 3 activists raided one of the biggest laboratories in the country, Harlan Interfauna in Cambridge. During the raid, the activists rescued 82 Beagle puppies and 26 Rabbits, also a few pieces of confidential information which pointed to possible future targets, such as Boots, Glaxo and Beechams. The police were yet again on to the attack like flies on food and were quick to gather evidence and sentence 2 of the activists to 9 months for ‘conspiracy to burgle’. Horne was not one of these sentenced.
During a huge nationwide operation in the early 90s to try and break down the Animal Rights movement, police conducted a number of raids on homes of well-known activists who’ve had previous convictions in an attempt to stop attacks of ‘high-value’ targets. Due to his previous, Barry Horne was one of these activists attacked and during the search of his property, the police found a ‘large quantity’ of explosives. In 1991 he was sentenced to three years for possession of explosive substances. During his time in prison he seemed to become more determined to do all he could for the movement, writing a number of inspirational letters.

Barry Horne got released in 1994 and was determined to continue his activism with no fear of further arrest. He wanted to work alone as he believed it was much safer to do so, as you won’t have a clash of ideologies etc. Over two years he conducted a fire-bombing campaign, targeting: Boots. Halfords, charity shops which funded vivisection and shops which sold any leather or fur goods in. Keith Mann wrote “It wasn’t rocket science to know that Barry Horne was behind the attacks”. This is because most activists saw him as a very brave man and they knew he was only one of very few who would plant incendiary devices.

In 1996 his home was raided, evidence suggested he supported the attacks on the Isle of Wight but he was never arrested for the attacks. However not long after this raid he was caught planting explosives in a Bristol shopping centre and the police found a further three devices on him which dropped him in it.

On January 6th 1997, six months after his remanded sentence for a spate of fire bombings, he began a hunger strike until the Government stopped testing on animals. 35 days after the start of the hunger strike he ended it, after being lied to by a Labour Animal Welfare spokesman who said “Labour will be making a reduction to vivisection in the future.” This action inspired activists all over the country, as not long after his hunger strike there was the removal of Cats from Hill Grove Farm in Oxfordshire and Beagles from Consort Kennels in Herefordshire.

His second hunger strike came seven months after the first protest and lasted 45 days, this was to ensure that all animal testing licences were removed throughout the country.

The third was in October of 1998 which was his longest hunger strike he would do, lasting 68 days and this brought huge debate throughout the country to whether or not it was ethical to test ‘new’ experiments on animals. Many people thought that he would no longer be able to keep going like this and were preparing for the worse. He was sent to hospital due to his condition not improving and he was finally moved back into prison on the 10th December 1998, and yet again Labour were making up stories so that they could ensure he was to suffer.

October, 2001. The final hunger strike, 15 days long. Barry Horne’s condition was not improving and he was still determined to not eat during his time in prison which was soon to become his downfall. He died on the 5th November 2001, in Ronkswood Hospital, Worcester of liver failure. He was buried in Northampton and his funeral was that of a special one. Hundreds of people attended his funeral and he was buried at an ecological site, just outside of Northampton town.

This raises much debate throughout the world of animal welfare, as many people directly involved with the Animal Rights movement see him a martyr to the cause and have the upmost respect for all he did in the name of animal liberation. Myself, I also believe he was a martyr and he will always remain in my mind when “doing things”.

This is to the 10 years since you’ve gone, to the man who changed the way things are done....

R.I.P Barry Horne – 1952-2001