Editorial: Violence in protest unjustified, ineffective

Disturbing acts of intimidation and violence against a University of California Santa Cruz faculty member doing research have surfaced, but this time the senseless atrocity allegedly includes several students.

Six animal rights extremists terrorized and assaulted a family member at the home of a faculty researcher at UCSC.

This is an act of violence and terrorism, and officials should move forward with harsh criminal penalties.

It is especially disheartening that some perpetrators of the crime were allegedly students ““ individuals that we expect would be informed, educated, open-minded and civil.

At UCLA, there are student movements to abolish animal research on campus, and they have been constructive in their attempts to do so ““ UCSC, take note.

The UC has a long and storied history of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience, at times impacting broad social movements and effecting change.

The students involved in this assault, and all others, should keep in mind the lessons we have learned about activism over the years ““ such as in the movement to divest from Darfur ““ few of which have included acts of domestic terrorism.