Trull called the escalation "very, very worrying," particularly the firebombing of the Feldheims' home. Animal rights activists "preach this, 'We respect all living things,' and then they do that with children in the house," Trull said. "The irresponsibility was breathtaking to me."
But at least one activist applauded the attack. Jerry Vlasak, a Los Angeles physician who runs a website that highlights animal rights activism, blamed the scientists for the violence.
Vlasak, of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office website, said his organization had received no communique from any group claiming responsibility for the Santa Cruz fire bombings. Although he said he had no direct knowledge of the attacks, he also said that "the use of force" is "not unpredictable or untenable."
"The inconvenience and the suffering of any children or any family members pales in comparison to the suffering and oppression that goes on in these animal laboratories," Vlasak said in an interview Monday. Feldheim is "putting himself and his family in harm's way by continuing to abuse animals."
At the entrance to the campus Monday afternoon, about 300 faculty, staff and community members gathered at a hastily organized rally to protest the twin bombings. Among them were Blumenthal and Coonerty. Feldheim spoke briefly to the crowd and thanked them for their support.
Martin Chemers, a psychology professor who briefly served as acting chancellor at UC Santa Cruz, helped organize the demonstration to show support for animal researchers and the university. He carried a sign that said "Medical Science Saved My Life" and noted that he had suffered a brain tumor at age 18.
"For rational people, this violence is not the way you exercise your opinions in a democratic society," he said. "We support our colleagues in the sciences and the academic freedom that goes along with being a professor."
--
richard.paddock@latimes.com
maria.laganga@latimes.com
Paddock reported from Santa Cruz and LaGanga from San Francisco.
