Hey folks just a quick shout out to our fundraiser. We are selling t-shirts and art prints designed by super radical artists from across the globe to raise funds for Cara and Celeste. The pre-order only fundraiser will close down in 72 hours, so it is now or never!
Cara and Celeste were arrested in the vicinity of a fur farm that had been raided, where over 600 mink were released to freedom. They spent a few weeks until they managed to post bail and now they are preparing for a legal battle in court contesting many charges including felony eco terrorism.
Philly ABC has a fundraiser going and we would like to send as much money as we possible can to it, so if you can afford it please grab a tee or some prints to contribute! If you grab a print collection and a t-shirt in the same order we will add a few stickers for free as a thank you. Please note that this is a preorder item only, which means they will only be sent once they are printed (likely next week), so if you’re ordering other bits from the website which are not marked as pre-order items they will ship together once the tees are ready!
Please donate generously if you can, and even if you can’t afford it please just share this far and wide so others see it before we close the preorders! SOLIDARITY ALWAYS!
Last month we released a pre-order only fundraiser, selling t-shirts and art prints to raise funds for Cara and Celeste, who are facing trial accused of being involved in a mink liberation in the USA.
We have received a few orders and reached the minimum to print t-shirts, but it would be great if we could raise extra funds, so please have a look and grab yourself a print, or a collection of prints, or a t-shirt or three! If you order both a t-shirt and a print collection, we will send some free stickers designed by Praxis with your order!
We’ve priced minimum payment for t-shirts at 20GBP, for the print collection 15GBP and for single prints 7GBP, but we are not a shop and simply collect donations, so if you can afford paying more for them please consider adding a few coins towards the fundraiser, you can name your price in the shop! Remember that if you order pre-order items alongside other bits from the shop, we will send them all mid December when the pre-orders are ready, so they will take a little while!
If you want to donate but don’t want to grab any tees you’re also welcome to just send your donation to the Philly ABC fundraiser for Cara and Celeste. Find it on www.unoffensiveanimal.is/nu2
Remember that Cara and Celeste have not been found guilty of the mink releases and you should not imply they are guilty of anything! Just support them because the state bites hard on anyone they fancy and we should protect everybody as that is the very best self defence.
“An interrogation is not a harmonious exchange between two individuals. It’s a conflict.
And in this conflict, our ignorance is our strength. Ignorance of the meaning of police work, ignorance of the manipulative techniques used, ignorance of the legal framework and, last but not least, ignorance of our means of defence.
In response to this observation, this book is intended as a tool for self-defense against police interrogation practices of interrogation.”
Preface to the English version
In summer 2022, 2000 copies of this book were printed in French and 2000 in German. The french version is now sold out, and the Publisher «Éditions du Commun» had now reissued the book.
The book was written with the intention of serving as a tool of self-defense against the manipulative interrogation strategies employed by the police. As stated in the introduction, “It addresses readers in various countries in which legislation may differ“. And indeed, we soon received feedback that the content conveyed by the book is equally applicable to countries such as Turkey, Morocco, Serbia, Italy, Denmark, and many more. And soon a number of supportive people were offering to translate the book into other languages. This is what happened with the English version, and we’d like to take this opportunity to warmly thank our translator and proofreader for their fine work.
As a consequence of imperialism and colonization, English is spoken today in contexts as diverse as Kenya, Australia and, of course UK and the USA. So many different places from which you may be reading these words, and where the contexts of repression are very different. Most of what is conveyed in the book applies to all these contexts, but, in case of doubts, it makes sense to keep an eye out for certain elements that differ and check them with your local legal team.
Our network lacks relays in the English-speaking world, so let us take this opportunity to pass on the message that we are looking for a publishing house or a collective that would be interested in printing and distributing the book in its geographical regions.
With these words, we wish you a pleasant reading.
Project-evasions – network of anarchist friendships
Cara and Celeste were arrested back in October after a mink farm was raided in Pensylvania. They spent a few weeks in jail until the judge agreed to a reduction to 10% on their bail as well as dropping a few other bail conditions, and they were able to come out a few days ago. Whilst a reduction from 150k USD to 15k each for bail is an amazing drop in costs, Cara and Celeste are now facing such massive legal costs that they need all the help they can get.
They are facing multiple charges including felony eco-terrorism, accused of the release of 600+ mink from a fur farm. Their support team is fundraising 75k USD to help cover sots of legal, transportation and other outgoings for the long road ahead.
We have launched our own fundraiser, supported by artists @praxis_vgz, @daisy.lotta, @zerofoursixeight and @steveortiz_art.
Grab yourself a tshirt, a print (or a full collection if you fancy!). If you grab both a collection and a tshirt, we will add some free stickers to your order which have been specially designed for this fundraiser!
This is a pre-order item only. The preorder starts today and it stops 12th December, we will not print any more t-shirts than the ones you order, so please go grab one now, support the initiative. Every single penny in profits will be sent to Philly ABC’s run Cara&Celeste fundraiser.
As always, our site is not a shop, it is a pay as you feel style donation where we send you cool itemz when you drop some coins, so please if you can afford it donate more than the minimum for tshirts and prints! We’ve set the minimum price at 20 GBP for tshirts, 15GBP for the full print collection and 7GBP for individual prints. If you can donate more, please do!
Prints are A4 size, on thick, recycled luxury paper. The tshirts are printed on NoSweat garments, who run a campaign against sweatshops and produce garments that are organic, eco friendly and only made in cooperative factories.
If you grab other items on the same order, please understand they will all be sent together with the pre-order items, so you might now receive them for a little while.
Please, grab a tee and a print, share it around and spread the word. let’s support folks when they face the system, prisoner support is our biggest weapon!
If you don’t want to buy shit to clutter your wardrobe, please just donate some coins to the legal fundraiser: www.unoffensiveanimal.is/nu2
PS: Please use your head. Cara and Celeste HAVE NOT been found guilty of any crimes. Don’t thank them for crimes, don’t tell them they are heros, being charged does not equate guilt. Do not treat them like they are guilty of a crime they have not been sentenced for. Just support them throguh the fucked up road that is navigating the judiciary system.
This text is addressed to the international anarchist movement, which we’ll define as the sum of individuals fighting for anarchist ideas around the world. This movement is in conflict with its natural enemies — the State, fascist groups, and so on — and must protect itself if it is to survive in this conflict. In this text, we make three proposals for the international anarchist movement to consider in the coming years in order to allow anarchists to continue attacking while limiting their chances of getting caught.
1. Share knowledge internationally
Our enemies organize internationally through cooperation between police and intelligence agencies and new developments in science and technology — the increasing precision of DNA forensics and the proliferation of drones being just two examples. This means that a repressive technique used in one country may soon appear in another where it is not yet being used. It also means that an effective countermeasure used by anarchists in one country may be effective in another. We should therefore share knowledge of repressive techniques and countermeasures on an international level.
Ideally, any experience of repression or experimentation with countermeasures that might be of interest to other anarchists should be written up, translated into several languages, and made public. When anarchists are arrested and brought to trial, we can often obtain court documents that reveal how they were caught: we should exploit this and publish analyses of such documents, bearing in mind that information obtained in this way may be partial or distorted. We should experiment with new countermeasures and write and publish reports on these experiments (except in cases where the State might adapt and weaken the countermeasure by reading the report). We should try to collect information at the source: read police training manuals, steal police files, analyze data leaks from police servers.
A specific feature of the international anarchist movement is its decentralization. We see this not as a weakness but as a strength: in addition to preventing the hierarchies inherent in centralized organizations, it makes it harder for our enemies to target us because they cannot topple the whole movement by disrupting one part of it. However, this decentralization also makes it harder for us to share knowledge across borders. To overcome this, we see two options: developing informal bonds with other anarchists by meeting at international book fairs and other events, and using the Internet. We propose using the No Trace Project as an international platform to share the knowledge that is suited for sharing on the Internet, not as a replacement for informal bonds but as a useful supplement to spread information beyond existing informal networks.
2. Establish a security baseline
Anarchists who carry out direct actions should analyze the risks associated with their actions and take appropriate precautions: dress anonymously, be mindful of video surveillance and DNA traces, and so on. However, this is not enough. If only those who carry out actions take precautions, it is easier for our enemies to target these individuals. This is, firstly, because they stand out: if only a handful of comrades always leave their phones at home, for example, this could be an obvious starting point for an investigation with no other specific leads. And secondly, because our enemies can get information about them through their friends who do not carry out actions: if someone doesn’t use social media but is mentioned on their friends’ social media, for example, an investigation could query their friends’ social media to get information about them. We should therefore establish a security baseline that everyone in anarchist networks agrees to follow, including those who have never carried out direct actions and have no intention of doing so.
We can’t say what this baseline should be, as it will depend on each local context, but we can give some ideas. As a bare minimum, everyone should help hide information from our enemies by not speculating about who is involved in an action, not bragging about one’s own participation in an action, not talking to the police, and encrypting any computer or phone used for conversations with other anarchists using a strong password. Discuss sensitive matters exclusively outdoors and without electronic devices, and don’t make it obvious to your social environment who you are having sensitive conversations with (e.g. don’t ask someone to “go for a walk” in front of people who aren’t involved in the project being discussed). In addition, we think everyone should stop using social media (and definitely stop posting photos of other anarchists, even with their consent, because this helps the State map anarchist networks) and leave their phones at home at all times (not just during actions). Carrying your phone with you has security implications for everyone you interact with.
It can be difficult to convince people to follow such a security baseline, especially if they think they have no personal interest in following it. If someone is reluctant, we should remind them that it’s not just their security that’s at stake, but also the security of other anarchists around them who may be carrying out or planning to carry out direct actions. Everyone who wants actions to happen has an interest in making anarchist networks as difficult as possible for the authorities to repress.
3. Explore new horizons
Our enemies evolve over time as they refine their strategies and techniques. We should prepare not for the battles that already took place, but for those yet to come. We should therefore go beyond our current security practices, anticipate the evolution of our enemies, and develop new countermeasures.
Here are three issues we think the international anarchist movement should explore in the coming years.
Drones
Aerial surveillance is rapidly becoming cheaper and more efficient. How should we react to the presence of police drones at riots, anarchist events, and so on? How can we detect or take down drones? Should we prepare for the risk of drones being used for routine aerial patrols, and if so, how?
Facial recognition technologies
In 2023, a journalist tracked down German left-wing militant Daniela Klette, who had been in clandestinity for decades, by using facial recognition technology to match a decades-old photo of her with a recent photo from Facebook taken during a dance class. What can we do against this threat? How can we prepare for the increasing integration of facial recognition technology into public video surveillance systems?
Lack of insight into police activity
Until a few years ago, radio scanners were used by anarchists to monitor police frequencies, for example to learn about nearby police activity while carrying out a direct action. In most contexts, this is now impossible because police communications are encrypted. Can we develop new techniques to functionally replace radio scanners or, more generally, to gain insight into police activity in a given area?
About the authors
We’re the No Trace Project. For the past three years, we’ve been building tools to help anarchists understand the capabilities of their enemies, undermine surveillance efforts, and ultimately act without getting caught. We plan to continue in the years to come. We welcome feedback. You can visit our website at notrace.how, and contact us at notrace@autistici.org.
This text is available as a zine (in Letter and A4 dimensions).
Let’s prepare ourselves, and may luck be on our side.
Northumberland County, PA — An engaged couple from Massachusetts was freed on bail from jail last week after the alleged October 19 release of over 600 mink from the Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. fur farm near Sunbury, off Pennsylvania State Route 890. State prosecutors charged Celeste Legere and Cara Mitrano with over a dozen criminal counts — including ecoterrorism and RICO charges — and they face decades in prison.
Originally held on $150,000 bail each, Legere and Mitrano were later allowed by a judge to post 10 percent of the full bail amount.
Legere and Mitrano face identical sets of charges in Pennsylvania state court. In addition to the RICO and ecoterrorism charges, they are also charged with Agricultural Vandalism, Criminal Mischief, Theft, Burglary, Loitering and Prowling at Nighttime, Accidents Involving Damage to Attended Vehicle or Property, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Cruelty to Animals, Agricultural Trespassing on Posted Land, and Depositing Waste on a Highway — as well as Conspiracy counts related to the Ecoterrorism, Agricultural Vandalism and Burglary charges. (An additional charge of “Conspire in Unwarranted Detention” was withdrawn earlier.)
Pennsylvania’s Ecoterrorism statute became law in 2006, shortly before a similar federal law — the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act — was signed by then-President George W. Bush. Before the PA statute went into effect, the ACLU said that it“violates the First Amendment because it discriminates against certain expressive speech based on the viewpoint of the speaker” and warned that “people who engage in traditional forms of civil disobedience, such as sit-ins, could be treated as terrorists.”
Both the state and federal laws widened the scope of what counts as “terrorism” — a word usually reserved for killing or threatening to kill civilians in order to influence government policy — to include acts intended to “prevent or obstruct” businesses in the agricultural or animal industries.
These laws were part of the post-9/11 “Green Scare” era during which the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front were the U.S. government’s top domestic “terror” targets. Industry groups and politicians successfully exploited the political climate after the September 11, 2001 attacks to criminalize direct action movements targeting companies for their harmful and controversial practices — often garnering popular support as animal rights abuses and environmental damages became more widely known.
Chris Carraway, staff attorney at the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, told Unicorn Riot that the case against Legere and Mitrano is “part of a decades-long effort to vilify and persecute animal rights activists.”
“Here, the addition of animal cruelty charges adds insult to injury. A society that protects an industry that gasses and electrocutes animals to turn them into coats, while charging those who allegedly attempt to free those animals with terrorism and cruelty, has utterly lost its moral compass. The true ecoterrorism on this planet comes from corporate industries that destroy habitats, pollute the environment, and slaughter billions of animals for profit.”
Chris Carraway, Staff Attorney, Animal Activist Legal Defense Project
Pennsylvania State Police Complaint Outlines Alleged Mink Release
Celeste Legere and Cara Mitrano were both arrested in the early hours of October 19 after the Stahl fur farm’s security system went off and surveillance cameras showed two individuals releasing minks from pens and destroying breeding records, according to a Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) complaint.
The Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. mink fur farm as seen from PA State Route 890.
Much of the PSP probable cause affidavits rely on the narrative provided by members of the Stahl family who own and operate the fur farm — Mark, April and John Stahl.
According to the affidavits, Mark Stahl told state troopers that his “camera sensors were activated” and captured two individuals — alleged to be Legere and Mitrano — “inside the enclosed property…wearing dark clothing with head lamps…carrying bags…[with] their hoods up.” They then released 683 mink “and destroyed records on the pens,“ according to an affidavit.
Open air enclosures at the Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. fur farm containing mink cages seen from State Route 890.
April Stahl claims to have photographed a vehicle fleeing the fur farm shortly thereafter. (The prosecution asserts this is the same car Legere and Mitrano were later pulled over in when they were arrested.) April Stahl and John Stahl then turned their own car sideways on a road, blocking it, at which point the vehicle leaving the scene is alleged to have struck the Stahls’ car on its way out; April and John Stahl then reportedly followed the fleeing vehicle. (The exact location alleged in the documents is not clear.)
The defendants allegedly drove away along Airport Road, seen here to the right of the Richard Stahl Sons Inc. mink farm in a Google Maps satellite image.
Before losing sight of the fleeing car, April and John Stahl told police that they “observed a backpack, work glove and dark in color sweatshirt get tossed out the suspect vehicles driver and passenger windows.” The items were reportedly recovered later by Pennsylvania State Troopers.
At around 1:14 AM, Legere and Mitrano were pulled over by Ralpho Township Police Officer Glen Wonsock, who arrested them before handing them over to Pennsylvania state troopers Cody Fischer and Jacob Hook – the authors of the affidavits.
Fischer and Hook wrote in an affidavit that they then obtained search warrants for the defendants’ vehicle as well as a backpack and purse found inside it. The troopers claimed to find items including a “pair of work gloves,” a “lock picking kit,”“two headlamps” and “two orange plastic crowbars.”
However, the Affidavit of Probable Cause also includes items of a political nature within the basis for the criminal case – dovetailing with efforts across the country to criminalize anarchist, antifascist and environmental and animal rights movements.
Items listed by police include “Three stickers that read ‘Officer down!’” depicting a smiling star with thumbs up” as well as “Two stick[ers] that read ‘Policy Proposal‘ depicting a police car on fire”, “Anarchist propaganda” and literature about how to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and the Tor browser to privately browse the internet.
Political surveillance and profiling of U.S. citizens by the federal government based on their perceived ideology is also directly involved in the case beyond the purely physical mechanics of an alleged criminal act.
The affidavit signed by Troopers Fischer and Hook indicates that the defendants and their roommates have been monitored by federal authorities prior to being accused of anything in court: “Following the search I made contact with FBI Intelligence. The FBI Source informed my that both Mitrano and Legere are connected with two anarchist Communes in… Massachusetts.”
Affidavit Conflates Post-Arrest Bail Arrangements with A Priori Payment for Crimes
Troopers Fischer and Hook’s signed and sworn probable cause statements, approved by Magisterial District Judge Rachel Wiest-Benner, appear to misrepresent one of the defendant’s attempts to raise bail money, purporting a notion that they were expecting to be paid for raiding the fur farm. (Wiest-Benner won an open judicial seat late in 2023.)
The affidavit filed by state troopers Cody Fischer and Jacob Hook seems to misrepresent a jail phone call about raising bail funds as evidence that the defendants were promised payment to commit the alleged crime. Unicorn Riot redacted language in this portion of the affidavit that misgenders Celeste Legere.
Fischer and Hook’s affidavit notes a recorded jail call by Celeste Legere was discussing their bail being set at $150,000, but claims that Legere saying on the call that she was “already promised $50,000…. illustrates Legere was promised $50,000 dollars prior to coming to Pennsylvania and committing the above crimes.” This seems to extend a national trend of attempting to criminalize raising bail funds for arrested protesters — in Atlanta, a similar line of attack led to money laundering charges against a bail fund supporting ‘Stop Cop City’ activists that collapsed last month.
The state police affidavit also notes that as of October 27, 2024, out of the 683 mink released, 619 had been recovered, 64 had not been recovered and 3 died post-recovery. The source for this claim is not cited in the filing.
The Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury, PA.
Judge Skeptical of ‘Terrorism’-Level Bail in November 4 Hearing
A sunny and tranquil afternoon in Sunbury, a central Pennsylvania river town, was the setting for the bail hearing on ecoterrorism and other charges for the two defendants on Monday, November 4, while locals raked leaves and senior citizens strolled the park outside the courthouse.
Watch Unicorn Riot’s dispatch after attending the hearing on Monday, November 4:
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This report was recorded before Judge Paige Rosini made a ruling on the defense’s bail modification request.]
The bail hearing was overseen by Judge Paige Rosini, a former defense attorney elected to the Northumberland County Court of Common Pleas in 2015.
Judge Paige Rosini is the first woman to serve as a Judge in Northumberland County, PA. Photo credit: Danirae Renno/The News-Item
Celeste Legere was represented by Jim Best and Cara Mitrano was represented by Gerald Iwanejko, Jr. — both public defenders.
Mike O’Donnell, the prosecuting attorney in the case, was elected as the Northumberland District Attorney earlier in 2023 after running as the Republican nominee on a ‘tough on crime’ platform.
Northumberland County District Attorney Mike O’Donnell. Photo credit: Mike O’Donnell/Facebook
District Attorney O’Donnell opposed the defense’s bail modification request, claiming Legere and Mitrano were an “extreme flight risk.” He referred to a map of the area surrounding the Stahl mink farm allegedly found on the defendants and began to reference the literature about using VPNs, Tor, burner phones, allegedly found during the defendants’ arrests, but was interrupted by Judge Rosini – “I’ll stop you there, do you have any evidence?” O’Donnell replied by answering “the affidavits,” to which Rosini replied, “affidavits aren’t evidence.”
Celeste Legere told the court that she works as a therapist and volunteers with various community projects such as clothing drives for unhoused people. Cara Mitrano, who told the court she “ran a free pantry out of my home” and helps with a local Earn-A-Bike program, works in medical data analytics. Both defendants testified that they had no prior criminal record and promised to attend any future court dates.
Legere also testified that she was being held in so-called protective custody because she was a trans woman — meaning she had very limited time outside of her cell and had limited access to the commissary; officers had been instructed not to let her have any contact with other inmates. She told the court that “almost every time I am let out of my cell I receive pervasive sexual harassment” as well as “threats of rape” and said she’d been denied any access to her hormone medication since her October 19 arrest.
When the proceedings moved on to the defendants’ home address and housing upon posting bail, District Attorney O’Donnell was extremely eager to zero in on what he alternately described as “anarchist communes” or “compounds” — aka ‘collective houses’ where the defendants live with roommates.
After O’Donnell began this line of questioning, Judge Rosini said he could “ask about specific groups” but that “saying anarchy or anarchist is pretty broad.” O’Donnell also pressed the defendants and witnesses on whether their collective house roommates were involved in “anti-law enforcement activities.”
Defense counsel asked the court to allow their clients to bail out at a lower amount by reminding the court that they were “presumed innocent” and had a “long-term residence” in a “stable location” with phone access and “substantial ties” to a community.
Character witnesses described both Legere and Mitrano with phrases like “reliable and honest,”“kind and thoughtful person.” Others, including several doctors and an attorney, offered to house and employ the defendants upon their release. When questioning one character witness offering to house one of the defendants, O’Donnell pressed them on why they thought bail should be granted. They replied, “because we live in a free country, and I think that’s important.”
Judge Rosini also pushed back on O’Donnell’s claim that the defendants should be denied bail because they weren’t from the area – “living in another state isn’t necessarily a flight risk.”
Amidst his final remarks arguing against the bail modification request, the District Attorney O’ Donnell again started to cite the internet privacy literature allegedly found during Legere and Mitrano’s arrest the defense quickly objected to this, and the Judge sustained the objection.
O’Donnell insisted that the higher bail amount should remain in place because “they came here to commit a crime,” adding, “they did ram Mr. Stahl’s car in order to leave,” and that they employed “well thought-out, sophisticated tactics. He told Judge Rosini that “it doesn’t matter if they’ve injured someone or not,” to which she replied “that’s one of the conditions.” O’Donnell also failed to offer any substantiation for his claim that the defendants were in “an organization” when Judge Rosini asked, “do you have proof of that organization?”
“The commonwealth hasn’t presented an iota of evidence to support the claims made by Mr. O’Donnell.”
James Best, Sunbury attorney representing defendant Celeste Legere
The Monday afternoon ended on a slightly hopeful note for the defendants and their supporters as some of Judge Rosini’s final remarks seemed to cast doubt on the prosecution’s demonization of the two women as violent threats who could strike again at any time if let out of jail:
“This is exponentially more than is set for people who hurt people… How is $150,000 a reasonable bail for someone who hasn’t hurt people?…This is a property crime…. Who are they at risk of hurting?”
Judge Paige Rosini at November 4, 2024 bail hearing for Celeste Legere and Cara Mitrano
The hearing ended with Judge Rosini saying she would read additional letters of support for the defendants that had been submitted and make a decision in the coming days. Later that week, Legere and Mitrano were each allowed to post 10 percent cash of their $150,000 bail – an option not available prior to Judge Rosini’s decision after the bail hearing.
Both were released without GPS monitoring or home confinement conditions, and allowed to leave Pennsylvania on the condition that they check in with Northumberland County probation twice a month. Rosini also nullified a no-contact order between the defendants, another request by the defense made on the grounds that they need to coordinate a mutual defense and are engaged.
“My client is grateful to the court for recognizing that she is not a danger,” Legere’s attorney James Best told the Daily Item. “She looks forward to returning to her community while she fights these charges.” District Attorney O’Donnell complained that Rosini’s decision “downplays the nature of this crime.” Fur Commission USA, an industry lobby group paying close attention to the case, circulated a statement claiming that “granting reduced bail”“only emboldens extremist activists.”
Stahl & Sons Fur Farm Previously Targeted by Animal Liberation Front
Located in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, just off of State Route 890, the Richard H. Stahl & Sons mink farm was founded in 1955 and currently has 7 employees with an annual revenue of $298,790, according to business directory information. The October 19 incident for which Legere and Mitrano are charged is not the first time the Stahl family’s mink pelt facility been targeted — it was previously raided in 2023 by animal liberationists who freed between 6,000 and 8,000 mink.
While the exact details of Stahl & Sons’ operations are not public, it’s estimated to kill thousands of mink each year. Mink raised for fur generally do not live to see their first birthday and are typically killed one of three ways — being gassed with carbon dioxide, getting beaten to death and/or having their neck snapped, or being electrocuted.
The Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. mink fur farm as seen from PA State Route 890.
Images of the facility taken on November 4, 2024 show that in addition to the dozen or so large pens containing mink cages, numerous additional new rows of pens are under construction.
The Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. mink fur farm as seen from PA State Route 890.
Local media has repeatedly quoted statements branding Legere, Mitrano and the wider animal rights movement as “terrorists” and “domestic extremists” by the Fur Commission USA, a 501(c)6 nonprofit that pushes the mink industry’s interests. Corporate-owned news in Northumberland County and Pennsylvania has thus far failed to note a conflict of interest regarding the entity’s advocacy in this case: Mark Stahl of the Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. mink farm is the Secretary of Fur Commission USA, according to 2024 IRS records.
Fur Industry In Decline
Mink farming has long been a priority target of the Animal Liberation Front as well as those seeking more humane treatment of animals generally. Banned in 20 countries but not in the USA, fur farms confine mink — semi-solitary aquatic predators who roam miles in a day in the wild — to crowded rows of small, often unhygienic cages not much larger than the size of their body. Mink routinely injure themselves in confinement by fighting with each other or biting and scratching on their cages until they bleed and their teeth and claws break.
“Fur farming takes place in a high-density animal environment that allows for rapid spread of viruses with pandemic potential—and for virus adaptation to animals that would be unlikely to occur in nature. This is particularly true for normally solitary, undomesticated carnivores, such as mink… mink, more so than any other farmed species, pose a risk for the emergence of future disease outbreaks and the evolution of future pandemics.”
Between 2017 and 2022 over half the fur farms in the US closed and the value of mink pelts declined by 68 percent, according to the Humane Society. Some fur farmers hope that these strong downturns will be offset by increased demand for furs from Russia and China.
Despite the escalating legal repression of animal rights activists in the post-9/11 era, activists who support direct action against the fur industry believe that they can push it further towards collapse. While it remains to be seen if the allegations against Celeste Legere and Cara Mitrano will hold up in court, their supporters say they are dedicated to helping them beat the case and stay free.
Cover image composition, photography and additional contributions by Dan Feidt. Mink element in cover via Dzīvnieku brīvība on YouTube.
Cara and Celeste, “the Northumberland 2”, were arrested after a mink raid at a fur farm. They were held on multiple charges, including felony eco-terrorism. On the 9th of November, their bail review changed as the judge accepted 10% bail (from 150k each to 15k each) and they are both out of jail after 3 weeks locked up. Despite the reduction of bail conditions, they are still facing multiple charges including felonies, which will ensure a lot of court dates ahead.
They are going to need a lot of support, even now when they are out of jail. The legal costs will start piling up very fast, and it is only through solidarity that we can ensure Cara and Celeste are supported and have the best chance at remaining free.
We have an art fundraiser in the pipeline, but for now, please head to Philly ABC’s donor box and donate a couple of coins to support them through the legal battle!
We see a lot of people celebrating when anonymous reports are published. It is time now to be as loud as possible about support. Regardless of their innocence, showing up for anyone who is facing the law means we are telling everybody the movement has their back if they ever get into trouble.
Cara and Celeste are out of jail! Thanks to the support of many friends around the world, they each received dozens of letters and books while incarcerated. Despite a significant reduction in bail restrictions, they are still facing 14 charges including multiple felonies and have many court dates ahead.
There is a long legal battle ahead which will require funds for attorney costs, travel to court, possible fines or court fees, and many other expenses. If you can, please donate and share with friends. Thank you for all your support so far!
From Northumberland 2 Defense Committee:
Two friends have been arrested and are being held on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges. Cara and Celeste are being held on $150,000 bail each. We are fundraising to pay their bail, for lawyers and legal fees including the cost of their ankle monitors, housing, transportation and other associated unanticipated costs related to legal repression.
Our two friends are accused of freeing hundreds of minks from a fur farm in PA. This farm kills tens of thousands of minks every season. The Fur Commission USA has launched an aggressive media campaign targeting and doxing our friends. One of our friends is being targeted with transphobic violence in jail. They are being held in solitary confinement, subjected to transphobic threats, and restricted from accessing phone except during limited hours.
Cara and Celeste are deeply caring people who frequently volunteer distributing food, clothing, and supplies to their communities. Cara also volunteers for a bike cooperative in MA, supporting people who need access to transportation in getting free bikes.
West Philadelphia, PA – An event at the OneArt community center is raising funds to assist with medical costs for Dhrouba Bin Wahad. Formerly a leader in the Black Panther Party who also co-founded the Black Liberation Army (BLA), Wahad was convicted in 1973 for his alleged role in the attempted murder of two NYPD officers in Harlem in 1971. In 1975, evidence emerged that he was a target of the FBI’s COINTELPRO program, which targeted many Black radical leaders, among others, across the US. Wahad’s conviction would be overturned in 1990 by the New York Supreme Court when it emerged that the prosecution in his case had hidden exculpatory evidence that could have helped his defense at trial.
Catch Unicorn Riot’s livestream of the event below:
[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]In this column, we present our monthly roundup of political prisoner, prison rebel, and repression news, happenings, announcements, action and analysis. Packed in as always are updates, fundraisers, and birthdays.
There’s a lot happening, so let’s dive right in!
Repression Continues Against the Palestine Solidarity Movement
According to The New York Times, just last semester more than 3,100 people were arrested on 73 campuses across the U.S. While the state attempts to frame the Palestine solidarity movement as violent (despite evidence to the contrary), the real violence has emerged from law enforcement and the far-Right. Harkening back to the police-facilitated far-Right street violence against antifascists several years ago, there has also been violence by Zionists, most notably at UCLA, where a far-Right mob attacked the Gaza solidarity encampment for hours as police watched. And the state and its allies in the universities have only ramped up for more repression this fall.
Whether it be through the purchase of drones and less-lethal weaponry, the creation of new policies designed to stifle student expression, firing tenured professors, or deeming Zionists a “protected class,” the overall pattern, as summarized by Palestine Legal, is that “these policies have ultimately consolidated administrative and state power while undermining freedom of expression, the right to assembly and protest, academic freedom, and safety for students and faculty on campuses across the country.” As this article was being put together, pro-Palestine organizers in Philadelphia at Penn State had their home raided by armed police who made no arrests. This follows the university banning Penn Students Against the Occupation back in April. Combined with statements from Donald Trump that he’ll deport radicals and protesting students, or attention seekers like Republican Senator Tom Cotton calling for protesters to be thrown off bridges, there is a perfect storm of hate, fear, ignorance, repression, fascism, and genocide.
This moment has also seen the ongoing weaponization of anti-Semitism. Rather than deal with the very real threat and severity of anti-Semitism in the United States, what can be seen is a continuation of Trump-era policies, where as president he embraced the anti-Semitic far-Right while deploying his administration, notably under the tenure of Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kenneth Marcus, to crack down on speech critical of Israel in the name of fighting anti-Semitism. Recently, the Heritage Foundation, author of Project 2025, released “Project Esther,” which calls for the government to go after anti-Zionists in the name of combating anti-Semitism. The report claims groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine form an elaborate “Hamas Support Network” and should be targeted using counter-terrorism, immigration, and RICO laws. On Palestine, the state, the university “liberal elite,” and the reactionary far-Right all speak in one voice: Question the genocidal settler-colonial status quo, and we’ll come for you.
Two friends have been arrested and are being held on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges. Cara and Celeste are being held on $150,000 bail each. We are fundraising to pay their bail, for lawyers and legal fees including the cost of their ankle monitors, housing, transportation and other associated unanticipated costs related to legal repression.
Our two friends are accused of freeing hundreds of minks from a fur farm in PA. This farm kills tens of thousands of minks every season. The Fur Commission USA has launched an aggressive media campaign targeting and doxing our friends. One of our friends is being targeted with transphobic violence in jail. They are being held in solitary confinement, subjected to transphobic threats, and restricted from accessing phone except during limited hours.
Cara and Celeste are deeply caring people who frequently volunteer distributing food, clothing, and supplies to their communities. Cara also volunteers for a bike cooperative in MA, supporting people who need access to transportation in getting free bikes.
Please donate and share! We need to raise these funds quickly to get our friends safely home.
*the 400k is an estimate of the costs listed above. Any funds raised over that amount will go to unanticipated costs relating to the listed expenses and any leftovers after that will be rolled into another defense fund.
Sunbury, Pa. — Two Massachusetts suspects who released more than 600 mink earlier this month from a Northumberland County fur farm are involved in anarchist groups, according to FBI officials.
One of the suspects also was allegedly promised $50,000 to come to Pennsylvania to release the mink, according to police. More than 60 of the mink are still missing according to the farm owner.
According to an amended criminal complaint filed by PSP Stonington, police found that Christopher Jacob Legere (also known as Celeste) 25, and Cara Ashley Mitrano, 23, are part of the “Firehouse” and “Collective A Go Go” communes in Worcester, Massachusetts. The two suspects were charged for allegedly releasing 683 mink from Robert H. Stahl Sons in Rockefeller Township early the morning of Oct. 19.
Amended charges were filed to add one felony count each of eco-terrorism, corrupt organizations, burglary, and misdemeanors of theft and related charges. Both Legere and Mitrano had already been charged with felony counts of agricultural vandalism and misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
Police were called to the farm around 1 a.m. Oct. 19 after a camera sensor there was activated and alerted the owners of the break-in. Video footage showed Legere and Stahl inside the farm dressed in dark-colored clothing with head lamps. They appeared to be carrying bags and had their hoods up, according to the amended affidavit. The two suspects used bolt cutters to cut a lock off the fence and then released the mink. They also destroyed records on the pens.
The farm owners told police they saw Legere and Mitrano take off in a Subaru Crosstrek. The Stahls followed in their vehicle and attempted to block the road to intercept them, but instead the Subaru accelerated and hit their car. One of the family members got a picture of the Subaru and noted it had a Massachusetts registration plate. The Subaru continued south on Airport Road, and the Stahls followed them for a distance onto Seven Points and Captain Bloom roads. The Stahls told police they saw the suspects toss a backpack, work glove, and dark colored sweatshirt out of the vehicle.
Both Legere and Mitrano were pulled over a short time later by police in Ralpho Township. Legere and Mitrano were arrested and taken to Northumberland County Jail and their car was impounded. Police searched the two suspects and found a hand-drawn map in Mitrano’s pants pocket with directions to the farm.
Trooper Jacob Hook applied for search warrants for the evidence that was tossed on the road, a purse that was found in the car, and the Subaru. He also applied for and was granted a search warrant for the clothes Legere and Mitrano were wearing at the time they were taken into custody, which police described as having a “strong musky odor.”
During the search, police found cutting tools, work gloves, crowbars, a lock-picking kit, and anarchist propaganda literature. There also were directions on how to navigate out of Pennsylvania to the state of Vermont and a map with an “X” on Airport Road where the suspects were to park. Arrows illustrated where the two were to walk through the woods to the farm. Hook also found stickers that said “officer down” with a smiling star giving a thumbs up, and some that said “policy proposal” and depicted a police car on fire, according to the affidavit.
Police intercepted a phone call Legere made from jail on Oct. 20 in which he spoke with an unidentified individual about $50,000 payment he was promised, according to the affidavit.
As of Sunday, 619 mink had been recovered and 64 were still missing, according to Hook. Three of the minks died post-recovery. Farm owner Mark Stahl told police that each mink costs $50 and that approximately 25% of the minks recovered will die of a disease, while the others will be left to die of starvation or be killed on roadways or by wild animals, according to court documents.
A similar incident occurred Sept. 17, 2023 in which unknown suspects broke into the fur farm and released hundreds of minks. No suspect has been charged for that incident as of yet. Police could not say if this most recent incident was connected to last year’s event.
Legere and Mitrano remain in Northumberland County Jail in lieu of $150,000 cash bail each. Both will have a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning Oct. 29 at the office of District Judge Rachel Wiest-Benner.
Philly ABC extends our solidarity to Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, in response to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) falsely-premised sanctions against the organization announced on October 15th. As anarchists and abolitionists attuned to organizing against prisons and policing, we recognize this as the latest attempt to employ the tactic of fabrication to repress powerful social movements. Samidoun affirmed their commitment to remain steadfast in the struggle to free Palestinians from the atrocities of colonization and state-sponsored fascism:
As Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, we reiterate our support for the Palestinian people, the prisoners and the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic resistance, who are confronting the genocide and occupation on a daily basis. … Our response to this designation is clear: we will keep struggling to stop the genocide, stop imperialist support for Israel, until the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea. … The repression is a sign of strength for the Palestinian movement and the international solidarity movement. This movement has mobilized the largest demonstrations for Palestine in history, has costed Israeli and Zionist companies billions of dollars in losses, it has united millions of people from across the world, and it has united virtually all social movements in every country for the Palestinian liberation struggle. …We affirm that we shall remain steadfast and committed to the Palestinian people, until victory, return and liberation.
We concur that this repression is a sign of strength. It’s a clear reaction to the surge of global support for resistance movements and efforts to confront Israel’s blatant fascism, in which both the U.S. and Canadian governments are complicit. It’s the type of flailing they do when shit is getting hot; when solidarity is getting real.
In light of their fascist agenda in Palestine, in response to international calls for solidarity, around 400 of us came together in Philly (and remotely) on the 25th anniversary of #RunningDownTheWalls to support mutual aid in Gaza. Not only does Gaza qualify as the world’s largest open air prison, but every Palestinian held by the Zionist entity can be considered an anti-colonial political prisoner. It was the biggest crowd in the history of RDTW. A comrade from Samidoun spoke about the importance of amplifying the voices of Palestinian prisoners, to bolster our collective movements for their freedom as well as liberation more broadly. Just as we support Indigenous and Black liberation movements on Turtle Island and recognize captured combatants as prisoners of war, Palestinians have every right to fight for self-determination.
While hundreds of thousands across the globe continue to mobilize to stop the genocide of Palestinians―and continue to take action day after day to confront imperialist complicity in fascism and colonization―our enemies are deploying their bookies to collect on lost profits and find the next leg to break. We know that these sanctions are just one of many attempts, to quell the groundswell rising for the freedom of Palestine and the right to return. We know that these tactics aim to scare us away from supporting resistance movements and freedom fighters, and we know that it never works! It only ignites us. We know that solidarity is a threat, and threat it shall be, because no one is free until all are free.
Until every cage is empty,
Philadelphia Anarchist Black Cross 🏴
Residents of the house said a cell phone was taken and that the search warrant was issued in connection to a recent vandalism.
University of Pennsylvania police officers raided the off-campus home of several Penn community activists last week in connection to an alleged act of vandalism — a move that has deepened scrutiny into the Ivy League institution’s handling of dissent over the war in Gaza.
Around 6 a.m. on Oct. 18, residents said a dozen armed campus officers stormed their West Philadelphia home in tactical gear, corralling the pajama-clad residents at gunpoint. People who live in the house said police brought one resident, whom they did not identify, to the station for questioning and that their “personal device was seized on suspicion of vandalism.”
While no one has been charged or arrested, the group described the search as an unprecedented and “traumatic” show of force against pro-Palestinian activists on campus.
“This is a disgusting escalation from the University, and comes after a year of disciplining, arresting, and brutalizing their own students who organize for Palestinian liberation, and they made the deliberately traumatizing and threatening decision to invade our home,” the house residents said in a joint statement. The group provided written answers to The Inquirer, but declined to be individually identified as they have not been charged and feared further reprisal.
Penn police confirmed that officers executed a search warrant on Friday in connection with a vandalism incident, but did not specify details about the case or the underlying vandalism. Penn police defended the action by saying that, in the last four months, the university has experienced about a quarter million dollars in damages from vandalism, including broken glass and graffiti.
“Any legal action taken by the UPPD is based on the violation of laws in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, not the policies of the university,” said Kathleen Shields Anderson, vice president of Penn’s division of public safety.
While Penn did not elaborate on the alleged vandalism, the search warrant nonetheless marks an escalation in the school’s handling of the fallout from the war overseas. It also comes at the time when the university faces pressure to crack down on antisemitic speech as well as activity critical of Israel on campus. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian student protests over the war continue to roil the campus and administers over what activists describe as biased and uneven treatment.
Penn police did not provide a copy of the warrant and the record has yet to be filed with the courts as of Thursday, meaning details of the investigation may remain unclear unless or until charges are filed.
A spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner confirmed that the prosecutor’s office approved the search warrant based on an ongoing investigation led by Penn police. If the search leads the university to pursue criminal charges, the district attorney “will carefully review the evidence submitted by the appropriate law enforcement authorities and make a fair and just determination,” said spokesperson Dustin Slaughter.
It was not clear where the off-campus house was located nor how many people live there. The group described themselves as “members of the Penn community,” of varying ages.
Last week,Penn police and Philadelphia police officer entered the home, awoke the residents and moved the group into the living room “at gunpoint,” the group said in a statement. The Philadelphia Police Department declined comment and deferred questions to Penn police.
Residents described the early-morning sting as “the most severe act of university repression of pro-Palestine activism since last October” as well as “a staggering show of force unheard of at any other university.” The group said it has consulted with lawyers.
Anderson maintained that throughout the execution of the warrant, officers “took care to explain to all involved what was occurring and to treat them with respect.”
As with other campuses, vandalism has been a routine flashpoint at Penn since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, with messages calling for “Ceasefire” or “Free Gaza” scrawled on campus buildings across the region. Penn has been the site of a concentrated — and controversial — series of defacements, including severalincidents within the last month alone, according to the student-run Daily Pennsylvanian.
More vandalism occurred this week, including one that said “Kill Zios” and another that said, “KILL YOUR LOCAL ZIO NAZI,” the student newspaper reported Thursday.
In July, doors and windows were damaged at the Pennovation Center, which houses the company Ghost Robotics, which is involved in the production of equipment used by the military and which critics have targeted in the wake of Israel-Hamas war.
But on a large, urbanized campus, few vandalism cases result in exhaustive police investigations, let alone warrant executions.
Yalile Suriel, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota who studies higher education and the militarization of campus police forces, said such departments only began conducting search warrants in recent decades, as universities dramatically expanded their law enforcement footprint. Many university departments now serve as supplemental extensions of the local police department — but often with less accountability.
“Unlike state institutions, where at least there is a sense of transparency and public record, private institutions and their police operate largely away from public view,” she said.
Suriel said that most high-profile raids that make the news involve narcotics on campus, though she could not recall another case like this focused solely on vandalism.
Public outcry over the raid has grown in recent days — with some describing the raid as a gratuitous show of force considering the nature of the alleged crime.
State Rep. Rick Krajewski, who represents parts of West Philadelphia, called it “completely unacceptable and disturbing that a dozen officers armed with tactical gear and assault rifles threatened the safety of unarmed young people who are not only students, but our neighbors.”
Stahl Mink Farm Targeted Again After Thousands of Captive Mink Released in September 2023
Although an anonymous communique has yet to be received by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, activists appear to have liberated hundreds more captive mink from Stahl Fur Farm in Pennsylvania early this morning. According to local law enforcement, Christopher Legere, 25, and Cara Mitrano, 27, both of Massachusetts, were taken into custody and charged with agricultural vandalism, criminal mischief- damage of property, theft by unlawful taking, cruelty to animals, burglary and criminal trespass. They were picked up in Ralpho Township about 15 miles away. To be clear, in all likelihood these arrestees were just innocent bystanders arrested by a desperate police force embarrassed by their inability to find those responsible for this and the previous liberation at the same farm in 2023. Up to 8,000 mink were estimated to have escaped the Stahl farm in the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2023; no arrests have been reported in that incident.
Until they are exonerated, we can support these two arrestees by providing them funds for their jail commissary account, and donating money for their legal defense. Here’s how:
The North American Animal Liberation Press Office has created an account to collect funds for legal defense of these presumably innocent detainees. Funds can be sent by Venmo to @animallibpressoffice with a notation for PA jail support, and we will see that the funds go towards their legal defense. There will likely be a GoFundMe-type of account soon as well. Stay tuned.
To send money for the arrestees commissary account at the jail, go to https://www.accesscorrections.com/v2/home. Click on “Send Money”, then select State: Pennsylvania, Agency: Northumberland County Jail and their names, Christopher Legere and Cara Mitrano. Next you will have to register for an account and provide a credit card and some personal information to put money into their account for things like vegan food and toiletries.
Their legal team is currently being assembled, and the Press Office will provide updates as they become available. Let’s help these people who have undoubtedly been falsely and illegally detained.
Meanwhile, please do not believe the lies being perpetrated by the animal abusers and their lackeys in the media. Fur farmers and their apologists often say the most ridiculous things to try and mitigate their losses after raids like these. Sample absurdities spouted as fact include:
Many or most of the escaped animals were run over and killed by cars.
In reality, fox and mink farms are located in rural areas with little traffic, the animals are quick and solitary animals, and it beggars belief to imagine them aggregating in the road waiting to be run over by the rare passing vehicle. FALSE!
Many or most freed animals returned to the farmfor shelter or food, or because they loved their captors.
Very funny. And FALSE!
Captive mink are domesticated.
Despite even generations in captivity, it has been shown scientifically that mink remain genetically wild, and studies with radio-collared mink demonstrate clearly the animals are capable of surviving in the wild. No, they won’t starve or freeze to death. Seriously FALSE!
Released captives are roaming the neighborhoods killing livestock, fish in koi bonds (you can’t make this stuff up, and (gasp) family pets. Captive, now free and wild mink have no desire to be anywhere near humans and their “livestock” or pets. There may be some minimal impact on the local ecosystems temporarily while the animals disperse and learn their way around, but no habitats are decimated or overrun or rendered free of other small animals. And no, the animals do not kill wantonly and more than they need to survive, as one commentator had the audacity to suggest. FALSE!
Most of the animals were recaptured since they don’t know how to get away, or because they are waiting around for their next meal (or to be gassed, clubbed, or anally electrocuted, as 100% of those who remain will be. Uh, wrong!
The Animal Liberation Front and other anonymous activists utilize economic sabotage in addition to the direct liberation of animals from conditions of abuse and imprisonment in order to halt needless animal suffering. By making it more expensive to trade in the lives of innocent, sentient beings, they maintain the atrocities against our brothers and sisters are likely to occur in smaller numbers; their goal is to abolish the exploitation, imprisonment, torture and killing of all innocent, non-human animals.
The number of fur farms in America has dwindled from more than 300 in the 1990s to less than 50 today, as the fur industry continues its steady decline into oblivion. A listing of all known fur farms in North America, is available here: https://finalnail.com/
