[stevezsa8]

I can believe that.

I went to a vegan restaurant once and met some randoms in London, I think it was a meetup.com thing. And one lady was telling me how she would happily take a lead pipe and hurt people working in animal testing.

I was shocked that someone would would share their violent ideals with a total stranger. I mean I could have been an undercover policeman or something...

And just to be clear, I definitely don't think hurting humans is a good idea.

[hutzlibu]

"I mean I could have been an undercover policeman or something..."

If the police wanted to bust people hypothetically threatening other people with violence, they just have to look on social media a bit. But as far as I know, a vague hypothetical threat like this, would probably be dismissed by a court. I rather know, that there are many people walking freely around who do make not cague, but concrete threats to concrete people and the police usually says, they cannot do anything.

[vidarh]

UK police has a multiple decades long history of infiltration of animal rights groups, though. They likely wouldn't try to act on a non-specific threat like that, because you're right it probably would get dismissed, but it's the kind of thing that certainly could trigger unwanted attention.

[vidarh]

Especially would think someone with those kinds of views would be aware of the rather well publicised sordid history of UK police with infiltrating animal rights groups and been more cautious. Unless she was an undercover cop out fishing (I don't think it's likely, but who knows).

[stevezsa8]

This was around 15 years ago, so maybe before the big recent stories about undercover-cops fathering children with their marks and vanishing etc.

I got the impression this lady I met was a little un-hinged / manic. Although more than capable of causing harassment to those unlucky to be in her path.