In recent weeks, one neighborhood in the Larchmont Village section of Los Angeles has been under siege: graffiti scrawlings, stink bombs, menacing midnight phone calls and, in July, a bomb scare that forced an evacuation.
Police and political leaders say it's a part of an escalation by animal rights activists in Los Angeles, whom critics charge are turning away from legitimate protest and embracing illegal harassment tactics and vandalism.
The protesters' target is David Diliberto, a high-ranking official in the Los Angeles Animal Services Department, whom activists blame for failing to stop the city from euthanizing thousands of stray dogs it picks up each year.
The campaign against Diliberto is part of an ongoing effort by activists to stop the euthanizing of animals in city shelters by targeting department officials. Unlike most disputes over city policy, however, this one has been marked by activists' willingness to take their battle to residential streets.
No arrests have been made in the bomb threat, which took place in late July at Diliberto's home. Police have taken nine reports related to animal activists at the home since January 2004, including five in July alone.
Last month, Diliberto told police his family was awakened at 3 a.m. by two people dressed as mortuary workers who said they were trying to pick up a dead body at his home.
"Unfortunately, the only thing they are accomplishing is terrorizing my kids," Diliberto said. "I have a daughter who asked me if she should be wearing a bulletproof vest while walking to the school bus stop. As a father, that's disturbing."
A judge in June issued a temporary restraining order to stop protesters from assaulting, stalking or following Diliberto around during working hours. Activists also were ordered to stay 100 feet away from his residence and his children's schools.
The protesters have affiliations with various groups, among them the Animal Defense League, which advocates against killing or experimenting on animals. Pamelyn Ferdin, the spokeswoman for the league, argues that the group has not violated the law and has forced change by getting key officials of the city's Animal Services Department to resign.
Although her organization does not use illegal tactics, Ferdin said she supports those who do -- including the Animal Liberation Front, a secretive international group on the U.S. Justice Department's list of domestic terror organizations -- and believes their help will help win the battle.
