for people in Bedfordshire who are concerned about animal abuse
Bedford Animal Action returned to Stevenage over the Easter weekend. We held an information stall with petitions and a range of literature on vivsection and other animal rights issues. Once again the response from the public was very positive and it was especially encouraging to see a number of younger people taking an interest.
BEDFORD ANIMAL ACTION ACTIVISTS PUT PRESSURE ON ASTRAZENECA IN LONDON AS WELL AS LUTON
We completed another familiar duo of demonstrations at AstraZeneca and Fortress. The megaphones to people ratio was very high and we used this to our advantage at AstraZeneca shaming them for their disgraceful use of animal torture under the guise of science. What happens in HLS and in AZ’s own laboratories is nothing short of a scientific fraud in order for them to make billions of dollars at the expense of the human beings gullible enough to accept their drugs.
We moved to Fortress on Saville Row. Dev Patel, the star of Slumdog Millionaire, was doing some publicity photos just down the road from our demonstration against the scum bag billionaires of Fortress. Fortress have given a massive loan to HLS at their time of need and their money is keeping HLS in their business of torturing animals to death.
We will not shut up about animal torture. We will not be silenced from telling the truth. Until HLS closes…
Report and photo courtesy of SHAC London
NATIONAL MARCH AND RALLY IN LONDON
Saturday 24th April
For more details please visit the website www.wdail.org
BAA RETURN TO ASTRAZENECA’S LUTON OFFICES
Bedford Animal Action activists continue protests against AstraZeneca’s use of the hell hole Huntingdon Life Sciences. As always the site went into lock down upon our arrival, with blinds going down, all doors locked and staff being escorted to their vehicles. We made our presence felt with the anger in our hearts and our megaphones chants.
AstraZeneca are one of the main reasons HLS still remains open and we intend to continue to hold you to account for your blood money dealings with HLS. AstraZeneca we care more for the animals you pay to be tortured inside HLS than you do about your profits, it’s time to get some ethics and drop HLS for good. If you don’t then we will just have to keep naming and shaming you up and down the country and returning to you offices time and time again.
We will return again very soon!
On Saturday 13th March BAA went to help out demonstrators at Harrods
Harrods are the only department store in the UK to continue to sell real fur. Demonstrators gather every weekend to try and convince Harrods to adopt a fur free policy. There is no excuse for Harrods to sell real fur. The production of fur is banned in the UK, however fur from fur farms abroad can still be imported. In order to avoid damaging the fur animals are killed by methods including anal electrocution, gassing and strangulation.
To find out more about fur farms go to :-
www.caft.org.uk
If you wish to politely contact Harrods to ask them to go fur free please write to :-
Harrods Ltd
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7XL
or email them at customer.services@harrods.com
This Saturday campaigners from Bedford Animal Action held an information stall in Stevenage Town Centre. The stall contained a selection of literature on various animal rights issues and petitions for supporters to sign. The town centre was very busy in the early spring sunshine and the stall got a good response from passing members of the public, many of whom were particularly interested in leaflets featuring vegetarian and vegan recipes. It is hoped that we will be back in Stevenage again in the near future as well as Bedford and possibly other locations. If you would like to help out at an information stall in the future please do not hesitate to get in touch.
LIGHTING STRIKES TWICE FOR ASTRAZENECA IN LUTON
On the 28th of October, Bedford Animal Action activists held a passionate and peaceful demo at AstraZeneca’s Luton offices. It was a warm autumn day and it must have been most uncomfortable for the 300+ staff in the offices to have to close the blinds so they wouldn’t have to be reminded of the cruel and unnecessary business they support and promote.
The police arrived soon after us and shortly after their arrival decided that we had to leave the protest. However, we stood up for our human rights and were promptly arrested and held for up to 17 hours without food.
After a four month wait and a two day trial, the prosecution dropped the case. After the case was dropped, we went straight back to AstraZeneca for a victory demo and to continue what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted. The weather was chillier than the day we were arrested and there was heavy snow, but that did not deter us from making our presence felt with megaphones just freshly released from custody.
AstraZeneca it’s about time you stopped your blood money dealing with HLS and led the way with an ethical policy, then we could leave you alone. With support growing within parliament for an independent inquiry into the efficacy of animal testing (which has NEVER been done before), and with a phenomenal 243 signatories in support for EDM 569 making it the joint 10th most signed of all 2,421 EDM’s in the last parliamentary session - companies such as yourselves need to take heed, move forward and show that you care.
Not only for the innocent animals, but also for the 20,000 human deaths every year in the UK alone due to adverse drug reactions. Need we remind you that HLS also use and kill animals to test household products? Is this really what you believe in?
AstraZeneca, so far you have shown us that you don’t care for freedom of speech. Unfortunately for you, it is our human right to protest at your offices and we will keep coming back time and time again until you stop assisting in the torture of animals in HLS and show us that you care for humans and animals alike.
We will be back at the offices soon, see you then.
WE NEVER GIVE IN AND WE ALWAYS WIN!!
If you would like to join us for future demos against AstraZeneca please get in touch by emailing us: info@bedfordanimalaction.org
On the 28th of October last year 4 animal rights activists were arrested for breach of section 14 of the public order act during a protest at AstraZeneca offices in Luton for their use of the notorious animal testing lab Huntingdon Life Sciences.
The arrest was a blatant breach of human rights and an attack on freedom of speech. After a two day trial the prosecution dropped the case. After the case was dropped we went straight back to AstraZeneca to let them know the outcome of the trial and to continue what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted that warm October afternoon.
We will be back at the offices soon, see you then.
If you would like to join us for future demos against AstraZeneca please get in touch by emailing info@bedfordanimalaction.org
Campaigners once again returned to AstraZeneca’s offices in Luton. As soon as we arrived we were greeted with the usual sight of blinds being hastily pulled down. We were also greeted by an audible announcement, which appeared to come from the office block opposite AstraZeneca, warning their staff that animal rights campaigners had arrived.
We began our protest using placards and megaphones to let staff and those in nearby offices know exactly what AstraZeneca are involved in. Shortly after our arrival the police also turned up and immediately issued us with a Section 14 warning telling us that we had only 20 minutes to demonstrate. We questioned the legality of this and attempted to at least negotiate a more reasonable time frame. After some debate the police officer said she would talk to her sergeant and see what she could do. Unfortunately she only came back to us 20 minutes later to inform us that we had to leave. She then proceeded in an attempt to retrospectively serve this Section 14 on the remaining protestors after it was pointed out to her that she had only spoken to one campaigner originally. Strangely she appeared to be reading the Section 14 from a laminated card which a Community Support Officer had previously fetched for her from inside AstraZeneca’s offices!
At this stage we decided to leave for a break with a plan to return later and continue our protest. Predictably on our return more police officers soon arrived, however the officer in charge this time was somewhat more reasonable. Although he issued a Section 14 almost as soon as he arrived he did allow us an hour to demonstrate before we had to leave. He tried to tell us that we could not use megaphones at all, however we questioned this and were able to use them in the end. Once again this officer was reading the Section 14 notice from a card that one of the accompanying PCSO’s had retrieved from AstraZeneca.
We continued to demonstrate at times noisily, but peacefully, as workers began to leave for home. One or two of these were decidedly rude in their hand gestures towards us; obviously they did not appreciating being reminded of what their company was involved in. One worker even tried to film us on his mobile whilst driving out of the car park;strangely none of the police officers present seemed to notice this.
Despite continued attempts by the police to suppress our right to protest here, we felt that the demo had been effective in reminding AstraZeneca of the cruelty they continue to support through their involvement with HLS. We left at around 5pm vowing to return in the very near future.
NATIONAL DEMO AT HIGHGATE RABBIT FARM, LINCOLNSHIRE
SATURDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER 2009 - 12 NOON TO 5PM
Highgate Rabbit Farm breed rabbits and ferrets for the vivisection industry. They supply animals to various laboratories including Huntingdon Life Sciences.
The demonstration will be stationary outside Highgate Farm, Highgate Lane, Normanby-by-Spital, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, LN8 2HQ. Hot food and drinks will be provided by Veggies. The demonstration has been fully organised with the co-operation of Lincolnshire Police.
For more details visit the Operation Liberation website.
If you need a lift, or can offer a lift, to the demo please get in touch and we will try and match people up. If you are unable to make this demo but would be interested in attending a more local demo please also get in touch. It may be possible to arrange a demo at beagle breeders Harlan Interfauna in Cambridgeshire if enough people are interested.