Portland, Oregon is no stranger to acts of domestic terrorism. The most frequent type committed are acts by extremist animal rights groups (ELF, PETA, ALF) against furriers and the Oregon Health Science University’s (OHSU) Oregon National Primate Research Center.
The most heated “demonstrations” have been in front of downtown furriers business’. Their actions resulted in the eventual closing of Schumacher Furs and, a year later the start of protests outside Nicholas Ungar Furs. In November, 2009 Horst Grimm, the owner of Nicholas Ungar Furs, won court order requiring four anti-fur activists to stay at least 50 feet away from Grimm and 15 feet away from his downtown Portland store(1) .
The most notable recent case of Domestic Terrorism in Portland occurred on January 27th, 2010 in front of Nicholas Ungar Furs(2). An apparently distraught Daniel Shaull lit himself on fire and attempted to enter the furrier’s shop. Shaull was heard by passersby shouting, “There are animals dying! Animals dying!”
Fortunately for the furrier, the entry door was locked and Shaull was unable to enter. A passing Portland Police Bureau Officer saw what was happening and retrieved what she believed was a fire extinguisher from the trunk of her patrol car and tried to extinguish the flames. Inadvertently the officer grabbed a red, riot sized can of pepper spray. A motorist did grab and extinguisher and with the help of additional PPB Officers, Shaull’s flames were put out.
Shaull was transported to Emmanuel Hospital where he later died.
Mentally disturbed, as his father states he was(3) or not, Shaull’s actions were those of a terrorist. To search Google for ‘Daniel Shaull‘ you get blogs touting Shaull’s “Ultimate Sacrafice” and “We must not let these supreme sacrifices go unlauded”. More propaganda to use a mentally disturbed terrorists actions to further Extremist goals.
What was his goal, if not terrorist in nature then, to immolate yourself and then enter a business?
While I do feel for the Shaull family, and I can empathize with Daniel Shaull’s issues, I will not sit here and say he was “just suicidal” or that his actions were not terroristic.
.(3) The Portland Anti Fur Campaign was just alerted to the action outside Nicholas Ungar Furs earlier today [Wednesday].
We do not know who this person was nor do we know what his intentions were. If his intentions were to raise awareness of unnecessary animal suffering and killing done in the fur industry, and by businesses like Ungar Furs, then we wish him well.
We are not saying that we want people to light themselves on fire and run into fur shops, but we do understand that sometimes you have to make noise and make a scene to stand up for the animals. It is really unfortunate that one would feel as if they must take such drastic measures, yet, this Fur Store has continued their bloody business despite protests outside for 3 years now.
If the person’s motivation was to bring media attention to the issue, they obviously achieved their goal.
Raise your fist, and your voice, Fox and Mink have no Choice!
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