June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Phytopharm Plc, a U.K. biotechnology company, lost its broker, Canaccord Capital Inc., after anti- animal testing protesters firebombed a Canaccord executive's car.

Canaccord, Canada's biggest independent brokerage firm, resigned as of today, Buchanan Communications' Bobby Morse, a spokesman for Canaccord, said. The Animal Liberation Front ignited a bomb under Canaccord director Michael Kendall's car in a London suburb May 19, the group said on its Web site.

The attack is part of a six-year-old campaign to shut Huntingdon Life Sciences Group Plc, which tests products on animals. Phytopharm's former partner, Japanese drugmaker Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., was a Huntingdon client, Wang Chong, Phytopharm finance director said. Animal Liberation Front and another group, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, has targeted Huntingdon suppliers such as BOC Group Plc, customers such as Johnson Matthey Plc, and banks including HSBC Holdings Plc.

``Canaccord regrets having to do this but the priority is the safety of their staff,'' Morse said. ``Life's too short.''

Canaccord arranged a 10.1 million pound ($18.6 million) share sale for Godmanchester, England-based Phytopharm earlier this year. Phytopharm hasn't had a chance to find a new broker, Chong said.

Phytopharm shares fell 19 pence, or 17 percent, to 93.5 pence as of 1:43 p.m. in London after trading as low as 87.5 pence. The shares have fallen 59 percent this year.

Huntingdon, which has facilities near Cambridge, England and in East Millstone, New Jersey, moved its headquarters to the U.S. in 2001 after managing director Brian Cass was attacked with a baseball bat outside his home.

U.K.-based Animal Liberation Front spokesman Robin Webb didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

`Track You Down'

Rachel McQuilliam, a spokeswoman for the Thames Valley police, said that although the incident happened last month, the police were only informed yesterday.

``We have recovered the vehicle for forensic analysis but we haven't even been round to get a statement from the man in question,'' McQuilliam said in an interview.

Drugmakers including Novartis AG, Switzerland's biggest pharmaceuticals company, have urged the U.K. government to protect workers following attacks on U.K. animal-testing facilities.

``If you support or raise funds for any company associated with HLS we will track you down, come for you and destroy your property by fire,'' Animal Liberation Front said on its Web site.

Yamanouchi was ``well known for conducting work with Huntingdon,'' Chong said in an interview.

Phytopharm was developing its Cogane experimental Alzheimer's treatment with Yamanouchi before the Japanese company decided not to continue development in March.

``ALF has been targeting us for over a year,'' Chong said. ``They broke into our offices twice but since we got an injunction against them, they've pretty much left us alone.''

``They do come and protest outside our offices,' he said.

Canaccord doesn't plan to exit the biotechnology industry, Morse, the brokerage's spokesman, said.

Terrorism

``This particular incident was obviously very serious and we were dealing with terrorism,'' Morse said. ``Canaccord has a strong franchise in biotechnology and most of the companies will not draw the attention of the ALF in this way.''

In January, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair's government said it was planning a new law against causing ``economic damage'' in an attempt to combat animal-rights extremists who target pharmaceutical companies.

Two new offenses -- one of breaking criminal or civil laws with the intention of threatening or interfering with contracts involving an animal research organization and another making it illegal to threaten someone because they're associated with animal research -- take force under the Serious Organized Crime and Police Act.

This act makes it an offense to protest outside someone's home in a way that causes alarm or distress, changes harassment rules to cover companies and gives the police more powers to move protesters.

`` There is of course still a problem when people behave outside the laws that are there,'' Aisling Burnand, chief executive of the U.K.'s BioIndustry Association said in an interview.

Former Targets

Auditors Deloitte & Touche and banks including HSBC refused to deal with Huntingdon after activists targeted them.

In October 2003, five Japanese companies that were customers of Huntingdon were granted permanent injunctions by London's High Court blocking animal rights protesters from harassing their employees.

Yamanouchi, Asahi Glass Co., Eisai Co., Sankyo Co. and Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co. asked the High Court for exclusion zones around their offices. The orders stop activists from coming within 100 yards of the companies' offices, though they can carry out peaceful demonstrations with no more than 12 protesters once a week.

The number of companies that have stopped supplying services to U.K. organizations involved in animal research because of intimidation by animal rights activists is rising, a drug industry group said in January.

Some 42 of the 113 suppliers that cut ties in 2004 with drug companies and others that use animals in research reported doing so in the last quarter of the year compared with 26 in the third quarter, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said. Comparable figures for 2003 weren't available, the ABPI said.


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The Philadelphia Inquirer
Charges filed in melee preceding death of officer
A Canadian was charged with aggravated assault. The officer suffered a fatal heart attack. By Thomas J. Gibbons Jr. and Nathan Gorenstein Thu, Jun. 23, 2005 http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/lo...al/11962790.htm

Four men and a woman were charged yesterday in the melee between demonstrators and police Tuesday in Center City that left a veteran Philadelphia police officer dead of a heart attack.

District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said the most serious offenses were lodged against Guillaume Beaulieu, 23, of Canada, who was charged with aggravated assault against Officer Paris Williams, 52, the Civil Affairs Unit member who died at Hahnemann University Hospital Tuesday afternoon.

An autopsy yesterday revealed that Williams suffered from heart disease. Jeff Moran, a city Health Department spokesman, said the cause of death was listed as hypertensive cardiomyopathy.

Beaulieu also was charged with aggravated assault on another officer, Edward Braceland, 45, and resisting arrest, conspiracy and disorderly conduct.

At a late-afternoon news conference at Police Headquarters, Abraham said the melee in the 1200 block of Arch Street early Tuesday afternoon began when Beaulieu threw water on Braceland.

She said Braceland chased Beaulieu and a scuffle broke out between police and protesters. Williams was one of the officers involved.

"This is the genesis of this event," Abraham said, adding that "the resulting punching, shoving and pushing... caused Officer Williams to suffer his cardiac event."

Williams, a 17-year veteran, was trying with other officers to prevent protesters from nearing the entrance of the Convention Center where the BIO 2005 conference was under way.

Abraham said four others were charged with resisting arrest, conspiracy and disorderly conduct. She identified them as Caroline Colesworthy, 25, of Newport Beach, Calif.; Brenton Hall, 21, of Bangor, Maine; Mark Garcia, 19, of San Antonio, Texas; and Charles M. Sherrouse, 46, of the 1400 block of Elbridge Street in Northeast Philadelphia.

About 20 protesters maintained a vigil in a small park across from Police Headquarters last night and said they would remain until their friends are released. A spokeswoman for the group, who identified herself only as Iris, said the protesters offered their "deepest condolences" to Williams' family and friends.

Another member of the group, who identified herself as Init, said: "Our friends in jail did not cause any harm to any police officer."

Abraham said news photographs and video helped police "ascertain precisely what appears to have occurred" in the scuffle.

Abraham said investigators believe that Williams was struck - either kicked or hit with a fist - during the struggle.

She added, however, that the autopsy showed no evidence of physical injury.

Abraham said investigators did not have evidence at this point to justify a murder charge.

James C. Greenwood, president of the BIO 2005 conference, said yesterday that the conference would make some form of contribution in Williams' memory.

Greenwood also urged people attending the conference to make individual donations for the benefit of Williams' family.

Fellow police remembered Williams yesterday as a hardworking, dedicated officer.

"A professional and a gentleman. He'll be sorely missed," said Officer Willie Williams, who heads up the police Guardian Civic League, an organization of black police officers. "He was not just a mentor to a lot of us on the job, but to a lot of young men in the neighborhood and community."

As Williams' son, Paris Jr., and daughter, Yavonda Evans, and other family members prepared funeral arrangements yesterday, the fallen officer's neighbors fondly recalled a man friendly to everyone on the block.

Williams, they said, had a well-equipped weight room in his basement that he allowed neighborhood youths to use.

Brian Weston, 21, said Williams could press more than 200 pounds. "He taught us how to lift weights properly," Weston said. Weston's father, Jon, the block captain, said there was never any hint that Williams was ill.

Williams was also a baker. "He made some incredible pies," said Peggy Weston, 49, Brian's mother.

Williams had recently purchased a Harley-Davidson and was about to renovate an old motor home. His son had started racing cycles, and Williams and his son planned to use the motor home to travel to racing meets, said another neighbor, Fred Johnson, 64, a retired schoolteacher.

"He always had a word for you, always had something good to say," Johnson said.


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