Animal Rights Actions

On Saturday 1st February, during a march through the centre of Dover, to mark the second anniversary of Jill Phipp’s death, crushed under a lorry while protesting against the export of live animals from the UK, the front of the local McDonald’s store was completely wrecked by people. As well as this, the port was completely blockaded for around 2 hours by 400-500 people.

Elsewhere, Barry Home, an animal rights campaigner currently in HMP Bristol, has been on hunger strike since 5th January calling on the government to ban all vivisection within five years.

Barry was arrested last July whilst placing incendiary devices in shops linked to the vivisection industry and is still awaiting trial. His action has led to support demos/actions from as far afield as New Zealand, Holland and the USA, and the other 13 animal rights campaigners currently held in UK prisons refused food for 48 hours last week as a gesture of support.

In the UK, the Research Defence Society and various fur shops have been blockaded by animal rights campaigners. On 18th January, following a support picket, various people visited a nearby vivisection breeders establishment and liberated seven kittens which would otherwise have been sold for experimentation. Four other cats were recovered by police using infra-red detectors and promptly killed by the breeder (who claimed they were now ‘contaminated’). About seven people were arrested.

Various other actions are planned to highlight Barry’s cause and the urgent issues it raises. To express your support for Barry write to him at: Barry Home VC2141, HMP Bristol, Horfield, Bristol BS7 8PS. For an update on Barry’s condition telephone: 01203 632873.