The House of Reps. will vote Monday 11/13/06 on the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA).

If the AETA becomes law, causing any business classified as an "animal enterprise" (e.g., factory farms, fur farms, vivisection labs, rodeos, zoos and circuses) to suffer a profit loss, it could be defined as a "terrorist" act punishable by a long prison sentence -- even if the company's financial decline is caused by peaceful protests, boycotts, media campaigns or leafleting.

Defining non-violent activist tactics that cause exploitive corporations to lose profit but don't physically hurt anyone as "terrorism" is both a deceptive misapplication of a serious term and a completely unacceptable violation of our Constitutionally-granted First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Industry groups are pushing the AETA through Congress quickly and with little public scrutiny.

Once this law goes on the books, it will be nearly impossible to stop the precident from applying to all activists activites, no matter the battle being fought. THIS IS NOT JUST AN ANIMAL ISSUE.