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“Suit by Miami primate importer to curtail animal rights protests is delayed”

Posted by Miami Herald

By David Ovalle
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com

 

Lawyers on Friday delayed a hearing in the court fight between a Miami primate import company and a group of animal rights activists.

Worldwide Primates, which provides monkeys to labs for bio-medical research, has sued members of Smash HLS, which has staged protests outside its West Miami-Dade facility and the homes of its employees.

Worldwide is seeking a permanent restraining order against Smash, saying its members have engaged in a campaign to “intimidate, stalk and terrorize” the company, including issuing threats, trespassing and even pelting a Worldwide car with rocks. Several members were arrested in October during one raucous protest, cases that are still pending in criminal court.

Lawyers for Smash say the members, who oppose research on animals, are exercising their right to free speech, and have filed a motion to dismiss the suit.

A hearing on the case was delayed for several weeks to give Worldwide’s lawyers time to prepare additional court documents.

 

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