WDAIL March 2010
Published:
April 24, 2010 17:48
by
JimDog
Neighbourhoods: westminster
Today, Sat 24th April, saw the annual World Day for Animals in Laboratories (WDAIL) march through the centre of London. Attracting animal rights campaigners from across the country, the march is considered the most important of the year following it's return last year after a lengthy absence.
Watching
Parliament
Big Ben
Animal Liberation
Marchers
Around 1500 campaigners turned up to voice their support. The marchers were calling for an end to animal exploitation in laboratories, and events around the world were held to mark the event.
The march assembled in Cavendish Square at around midday where speeches were given by members of campaigns around the country including SPEAK (campaign against the Oxford University Lab) and SAEAB (Stop Animal Exploitation At Bradford). At around 1.30pm, the rally set off under heavy police escort and the customary FIT (Forward Intelligence Team) presence. The route took in Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square (where the marchers passed in absolute silence save for a single slow drum beat) and onwards past the Houses of Parliament where the police presence was noticably larger.
After reaching the finish point of the march, the activists then made their way to St Pancras Station, site of a huge proposed new BioTech laboratory opposite the main entrance where a vigil was held and the ever present Veggies Catering Campaign fed the now hungry marchers. The crowd was told that planningpermission had yet to be approved for the laboratory, but vowed to return in greater numbers with a sustained campaign should the plans go ahead.
The mood of the march, as was the case last year, was positive but sombre and attracted many sympathisers from the normal saturday London shoppers, many of whom joined the march in support meaning the numbers by the time parliment was reached were almost double.
Despite the heavy police presence, no arrests were made of the marchers and all are now on their way home, hopefully to return next year.
For more information on upcoming animal rights events both in the London area and the rest of the uk, see the calendar at http://www.veggies.org.uk
Contact email: imc-northern-contact@lists.indymedia.org
Additions
Thanks Mandy
Published: April 26, 2010 13:24
by
World Day Protestor
Thanks for your comments Somers Town, aka Mandy, using yet another pseudonym, loved the comments from the "residents", hilarious, we needed a good laugh after all that effort.
Somers Town residents
Published: April 26, 2010 17:52
by
Somers Town
This might come as a shock but there are residents other than Mandy who are fed up with the animal rights people. Your comments from the animal rights, publicly made, about Mukul Hira are disgusting and you should apologise. You will find that the disgust against the animal rights people who have been attacking the residents is not all from Mandy and is shared by others from Camden. People from Somers Town [Camden]said they were against the animal rights people because of their attitude while watching the protest, at meetings and in the pub. Mandy doesn't live in Somers Town. We live in Somers Town and we do not support the animal rights campaigners.
Re: all are BNP
Published: April 27, 2010 16:02
by
Anonymous
This is post factually incorrect, the marchers were chanting "one struggle one fight, human freedom and animal rights" - clearly not BNP supporters.
Camden residents
Published: April 27, 2010 17:02
by
Joe
There were plenty of Camden residents on march and many of the oints raised by speakers had nothing to do with vivisection they were highlighting the danger of the lab to surrounding communities. As anyone who listened or truly observed would agree. This is NOT a competition!!!!!
EXACTLY
Published: April 28, 2010 00:26
by
One of the AR's
Thankyou to whoever said "this is not a competition". Well said! What is at stake here is human and animal suffering. The animal suffering is obvious and animal rights people will get involved whether the locals like it or not. The human suffering is less obvious but do your research and you'll see what happens because of these places. In the end no-one wants this sick industry in Camden for a multitude of reasons. everyone's a winner if we stop it going ahead and it IS do-able. So let's just ignore the rantings of one crazy local woman and ex-AR activist and each do what we can to block this lab.
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Somers Town residents
Somers Town residents don't want the lab in Camden and here's why:
We do not want SHAC here. They are already pissing off the residents. They are causing trouble and no one wants them here in Somers Town other than to show local people what they are really like. They do not have local support.
A resident campaigner Mukul Hira, a respected and well liked Bengali community leader [also from the UAF] has been described as there being "no room for the Halal butcher in this campign" by animal rights even though he helped to orgainse the residents campaign against the lab. Why should the [mostly Bengali Muslim] community support the animal rights if you are going to speak of local people and Halal in this way? Other residents too have been abused by the animal rights.
A Somers Town resident watching said "This is SHAC. They will kick off. They are already pissing people off here, if they continue to piss people off locally there is going to be trouble and people need to see what they are like. The council needs to see this".
Another Somers Town resident a father of mixed race children said "You know half of them are in the BNP. One was in the paper the other day. Scum."
Local young Bengali youths watching the protesters said "That's not the Camden Residents. Don't join in with them. Wait until the Camden residents have their protest and go to that. Keep away from the animal rights. F**k those people."
The UKCMRI have offered funding for local schools. This needs to be weighed against the destruction to local young people by animal rights people trying to recruit locally.
Animal rights people need to read this message :
You have shown disrespect to people living here. We do not support you and we don't want you.