On Sunday 14th, February Animal rights activists from all over the country descended upon Chorleywood in Hertfordshire in a national demo against customers of Huntingdon Life Sciences .Despite the gloomy weather spirits were high as the colour coded convoys set out with maps to (until then) unknown targets
The police appeared to be in a certain amount of confusion as the vans, cars and minibuses set off in different directions, Our particular bus received an escort of almost royal proportions including motorcycle outriders as we headed towards our first stop
We reached Smithkline Beecham research and technical operations in Weybridge Surrey where the main gates were thrown open and modifications were made to a security barrier, amid a cacophony of jeers, boos, whistles, bells and airhorns the crowd provided employment for local glaziers. The security locked themselves in a hut and police reinforcements arrived just as the signal went to leave for the next stop
A short 5mins, drive away in Cobham lies the home of Monsanto director Keith Krywicki, who received a home visit and police with sirens wailing wasted no time in trying to ensure this pillar of our society was not interrupted from enjoying his (GM free no doubt) Sunday lunch. A phone call warned us that police were now arresting people on the charge of suspected burglary. Mindful of this we headed straight to target no.3
Eli Lilly research centre ltd, is in Windlesham Surrey and after parking the vans nearby about 70-80 people started tramping up the lane to Erlwood Manor whereupon the peoples anger was vented at these animal abusers with considerable damage being inflicted before beating a hasty retreat back to the vans, with the police arriving just in time to see us leave for our next port of call
Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK. Are based at a business park in Frimley and when we reached there we witnessed a stand off between activists and security guards so, with police numbers increasing it was back on to the M3 to Basingstoke and the head offices of Eli Lilly.
Our spirits were high as we realised we were the first to arrive but these were quickly dashed by the presence of a van full of police who started to follow us, so with police in tow we did a tour of Basingstoke before someone in the intelligence dept, of Hampshires finest realised our little ruse and headed back to the by now activist occupied offices with a huge banner hanging from the roof.
Whilst driving home our joy was even more enhanced when we heard unconfirmed reports that another one of the groups had urinated in the Horlicks at Glaxo Wellcome So its cocoa for me from now on!!!