Adjunct Professor Dara Lovitz provided an overview of animal cruelty laws, specifically, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) on the Progressive Radio Network (minute 14:55).

Laws such as the  as the AETA, which bans all activities that could potentially cause ecomomic harm to any industry which uses animals as part of their business enterprise, are written with an "industry protective slant," Lovitz said.  Since the passage of the AETA, the ability to raise public awareness about the suffering of animals in factory farms or scientific laboratories has been substantially curtailed because the law covers a broad array of activities, including non-violent protests, such as economic boycotts or verbal protests, Lovitz added.

Lovitz is the author of "Muzzling a Movement," and has written and lectured extensively on animal law and eco-terror laws.