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Animal Rights and Police Repression

sinisterpenguin | 22.10.2005 19:11 | Animal Liberation | Repression | Liverpool

Animal rights protesters today held a peaceful and informative protest outside Thomas Cook in Liverpool City Centre. However this protest was deemed illegal by two police (numbers 2312 and 3032) and two pretend police (Community Wardens) who deemed the pictures of monkeys being tortured offensive.

Local Thugs Causing Harassment
Local Thugs Causing Harassment


Thomas Cook was targeted because it is the leading seller of UK holidays to Mauritius, which is in turn one of the leading exporters of primates used in animal testing labs. Campaigners were asking local shoppers to boycott Thomas Cook and book their holidays elsewhere until the travel agent stops selling holidays there. Tourism is Mauritius’s largest source of revenue, by hitting the economy the campaigners were hoping to stop the islands monkey trade.

However this information is not deemed appropriate for weekend shoppers consumption, ‘anything which is offensive will be removed,’ so says officer 3032. Threatening to arrest protesters under Section 5 of the Public Order Act (‘Causing Harassment Alarm or Distress’) the police claimed that there had been complaints about the five protesters, their pictures (of monkeys being tortured in labs) and their leaflets. Despite the fact many members of the public (myself included) had passed by and shown support for the cause the police continued to claim that harassment was being caused.

The police then threatened to arrest me under the same act for taking photographs of her majesty’s force in action. Apparently under the Data Protection Act I was also prohibited from taking photographs without permission. I have no idea whether this is true or not, but have been arrested recently and don’t have a spare 80 quid (which is the standard charge) to find out.

The chief Executive of Thomas Cook is Manny Fontenla-Novoa and can be reached at
Thomas Cook, PO Box 2
Coningsby Road
North Bretton
Peterborough
Cambs
PE3 8SB
Tel: 01733 417 100
His PA is Amanda Humphries ( amanda.humphries@thomascook.com)

The police are protecting the public from this information in case it might upset them. I am sure that we are all grateful for this protection and will thank the next policemen we see. Thomas Cook are helping reduce the primate population of Mauritius so I am sure we will all take this into consideration the next time we book our holidays.

sinisterpenguin
- e-mail: sinisterpenguin@yahoo.com

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

They're Lying About the Data Protection Act

22.10.2005 21:10

I'm not aware of any provision in the Data Protection Act relating to pointing your camera at cops. Last time I photo'd police (harassing a party at our community garden) they tried to claim it wasn't allowed. A polite response of "when you are on public property, anyone can take photos of you" did the trick.

not surprised


So THAT'S what's meant by its a crazy world we live in!

22.10.2005 22:38

Officer 3032 was informed that the dead corpses of animals being publicly displayed in butchers windows was causing alarm and distress to the complainant to which the officer replied,"Everyone eats meat".

So...by the officers standards it is acceptable for real bodies of dead animals to be publicly displayed for the purpose of profit and unscrupulous consumption(despite this causing alarm and distress to thousands of vegetarians and vegans)but the displaying of a photograph of a dead animal for the purpose of integrity with the motivation of aiming to evoke compassion in people for a noble cause is deemed an offense.

So THAT'S what's meant by its a crazy world we live in!

An Onymous

An Onymous


Which way is the wind blowing?

23.10.2005 01:07

All fascist regimes pull this STATE THUGS ARE ANONYMOUS stunt. Recently, an american policeman was convicted in court of child abuse. The local papers, TV stations blurred out his face (POST conviction).

Think of it as a 'are things getting better or worse' weather vein. BTW, it does not matter whether today it MAY be legal to photo Blair's uniformed goons going about their thuggish duties, because in the near future it WILL most certainly be illegal. This is called HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.

twilight


Yoo Hoo, Twilight

23.10.2005 13:05

"All fascist regimes pull this STATE THUGS ARE ANONYMOUS stunt. Recently, an american policeman was convicted in court of child abuse. The local papers, TV stations blurred out his face (POST conviction). "

Give us a link on that, then.

Observer


Animal Abuse Extremists

26.10.2005 08:57


We have no fuckin free speech left I really feel depressed at how repressive this country has become almost over night. I look back at when the Criminal Justice Act 1994 came in and think it was a teddy bears picnic compared to the ultra right wing treatment new Labour dishes to anyone who has a gripe with their murderous fuckin system

Puppy


FUCK THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

27.10.2005 10:40

Firstly I don't think people should be feelign down about what is happening - we basically have to do what we can - by any means neccessary. That might be alerting work mates or generally being a resistance fighter in a number of differnt ways. The system thrives on people being deppressed.

Secondly I don't give a fuck about animal rights people. I like animals and think they should be respected - but the people who claim to represent them are a joke. The aninal rights movement should sort itself out - it has too many fucked up idiots - who thinkt hey are some type of liberators and don't really give a toss about anythign else.

What does it have to say about teh animal rights person who punched a big issue seller in the face - becasue the big issue carried an advert from a company that experiments on animals. WHAT TYPE OF AWARENESS DOES THE ANIMAL RIGHTS PERSON HAVE?

FUCK THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

Donald Duckers


liverpool animals

15.11.2005 16:30

i was there an i think that the police were being rediculous, i think that that policeman had less knowledge of the law than i do and concidering im still in college, i find this as disturbing as the pictures alone..

animal liberation!

j