Andy Stepanian is best known as a member of the SHAC 7. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty campaign against the contract animal testing laboratory then called Huntingdon Life Sciences began in the UK, before spreading to the US, where Andy became involved. The hugely successful tactics were ultimately cracked down on by both governments leading to draconian arrests and sentencing of those involved. That included, in America, the SHAC 7. Andy would serve 3 years in prison for his role, including time in a top-secret maximum security prison.I realize a 3 hour interview is hard to digest in our busy world. I didn't anticipate it going that long. But the interview surprised me in how much I learned that I didn't know about Andy. We talked about SHAC, the Animal Liberation Front, Andy's time in what's called a Communications Management Unit, a secretive and controversial "prison within a prison" as Andy described it, alongside Earth Liberation Front prisoner Daniel McGowan. Those things I knew about, but many details I didn't. We also talk about Gaza and how that issue has roiled the animal rights movement. We talk about his past trauma and abuse, his PTSD of being there as Heather Heyer was run over by a white supremacist in Charlottesville, Virginia. I had considered breaking this interview into multiple parts, or adding timestamps. I decided I'm not going to do that, even though it may ultimately doom this interview to low views. For that, I'm sorry to Andy. But I think too much of this conversation was informed by the other parts, that I don't want it broken up. I'd rather it be understood in full.I have enormous gratitude for Andy's time and for all he has done for animals. I got a lot from this conversation, and hope you do too.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Andy's IG"The Animal People" trailer"If a Tree Falls"Tom Harris' bookMy interview with Tom"Green is the New Red"Prisoner support: Anarchist Black Cross

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