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Oxford police left standing as animal rights protesters run rings around them.

FTP | 28.01.2006 23:28 | Animal Liberation | Repression | Oxford

Billed as the latest large scale protest in the city following the resumption of building at the controversial new animal laboratory on South Parks Road, the animal rights protestors today adopted diversionary and autonomous tactics that left the police panicking.

Last month a similar event resulted in five arrests when the police went back on their word in negotiations over the permitted route, by penning in th 650 protesters. Of those arrests four have since had their charges dropped, including the individual who was kicked in the balls in the cells. There was considerable embarrassment for the police when mp3 recordings of the negotiations were released on an activist website.

In the last week there has been a notable rise in harassment of protesters by the police, often desperate to find out what was planned for today. Following several clear cases of bad faith on behalf of Thames Valley Police all contact has been cut and the lack of information has caused them to be wrongfooted.

Today several groups of protesters assembled. Large groups marched to the laboratory and back, while others stayed in town and carried out protests against Vodaphone and other university targets. Police had to resort to imposing a section 14 order over the entirety of Oxford but it had little effect.

One group started outside the Said Business School and gave the police the slip with a march into town. Several mounted police were seen galloping through the town knocking passerbys to the side, as their radios carried desperate commands to prevent the activists reaching the centre.

At Vodaphone one individual was arrested for handing out leaflets while the several officers, an inspector among them, roughed up several females and forced them into the corral created on Market Street.

Meanwhile several other autonomous groups took independent action and visited a large number of university buildings to ensure the message was heard by everyone. They repeatedly lost the police, blending in and reappearing at random.

There was one arrest at 5pm for a section 5 offence, the police apparently disliking an image on a poster. Both arrested individuals are now released.

Activists have left the city on a high note, feeling that they have achieved a considerable amount in spreading their message through out the public and university. The police paid the price for their previous deception, having lost the goodwill of the protesters, and were made to look fools instead.

Future protests are planned along with the weekly Thursday afternoon protests at the site. For more information see www.speakcampaigns.org.uk

FTP

Comments

Hide the following 17 comments

Well...

29.01.2006 01:00

One could also easily argue that the vague distribution of the protestors meant that, in fact, there was almost no visible SPEAK presence in Oxford today. A few people shouting here and there will just look unimpressive- as if you couldn't get anyone else out- and be easily overlooked. If you're going to bother to have a "protest" people might as well know one is going on.

I was in the city centre today when the march was supposed to be going on- nothing visible except a few poor confused people in 'smash HLS' (nice choice of verb there, hurrah for random intimidatory tactics... not) who didn't seem to know what was going on and looked very, very lost.

A damp squib of a day, methinks. Better luck next time... or not.



pro-science

Oh,

29.01.2006 01:04

and you decided to trespass into St Anne's college too today. Nice to see you lot have no respect for the law. Pity the students don't support your 'cause', isn't it... and invading our property just makes us less and less inclined to give you any credit whatsoever.

pro-science

What are you on about......?

29.01.2006 12:36

Pro-science,

What are you on about? The protest that actually happened? Or your idea of a successful animal rights demo? Whilst your protest tips:

"A few people shouting here and there will just look unimpressive"

and

" If you're going to bother to have a "protest" people might as well know one is going on."

will have taken many activists by surprise and probably will now lead to an entirely new style of campaigning, your advice is completely redundant. If your actual goal is to try and stop these animal rights demos then shouldn't you be complaining to the police who through their standard heavy-handed reactions escalated the attention and the awareness of the public exponentially, helping the campaigners no-end?
Or are you just bitter that the animal rights campaigners are doing so well?

Gary B

well done

29.01.2006 13:25

As an Oxford student and future scientist I would just like to wish you all the best in your campaign.

I long for the day when animals are treated with the respect they deserve.

pro-science

Pro Science

29.01.2006 22:22

Saturday's demo was a success ..
And i was proud to be there!

Alan B Stard

Gary B,

30.01.2006 07:21

I was genuinely surprised by the lack of visible protest on Saturday. Yes, perhaps the 'intention' of the group may have been to act in a way the police weren't expecting, but the tactics used meant there was no coherent protest to be seen- just small pockets of activists running around, barely noticable. I thought I'd point out (seeing as the article seemed soooo convinced this was an amazing demonstrating development) that this SUCKED in terms of getting any message across.

I don't really care whether the 'mini marches' go ahead or not, I don't think they do anything to genuinely sway public opinion, but it did make me chuckle that animal rights activists would bother to waste their time indulging in a protest which had barely any visible impact at all. Evidence, I think, that the majority of you are 'anarcho-loons' just desperate to "get one over" on the police. Very mature of you all.

And for those who break the law and trespass, destroy property, threaten or harrass people involved in scientific research (or those whose nurseries contain their kids ffs) I have of course nothing but the greatest, purest contempt.

Finally, no, I won't "eat shit and die". I'll eat meat and live, thank you very much.


pro-science

visibility

30.01.2006 13:16

Given that the tactic was to split into smaller groups and stay fairly mobile, I'd imagine that your experience of the protest (how loud/visible it was) would depend a lot on where you were.

'Getting one over on the police' is not the be-all and end-all for most protesters, but this was an effective and necessary response to over-the-top police tactics, and if the cops are made to look silly in the process, then that's a bonus - they deserve it!

*

re: pro-science

30.01.2006 16:46

simple logic....

NOT "eat shit and die" OR "eat meat and live" EQUALS "eat shit and live like a dumb fuck"

jools

Article pretty biased

31.01.2006 15:01

"Several mounted police were seen galloping through the town knocking passerbys to the side"

Really? Because if a galloping horse knocks someone to the side, the poor person will be seriously injured. There's even a chance of death. Funnily enough, there were no reports of this in Oxford on the day of the protest, despite several passerbys allegedly being knocked down. Police cover-up? Or hyperbolic nonsense from a very biased and sensationalist anti-science campaigner?

If you can't report accurately, at least try to report plausibly.

John Boy

Horses

31.01.2006 18:09

I was in oxford that day and all i can say is the horses looked damn fine...oh who needs humans...no,no.no...horses and other animals are our equals...we are all big apes really...passs me the banana and tofu...vege vege vege oi oi oi.. the problem with you meat eaters is that you are all evil, sick, paedo, pervert scum...that is why I go round paintstripping peoples homes becuase I am compassionate and love all creatures apart from humans...pass me the spade, got to dig an old lady up........yee haaa..wheres the local Holland and Barrett me needs me Marmite or vitamin B 12 or whatever becuase the plants just ar not providing it..infact what are these sharp teeth in my mouth for?

Tofu Liberation Front

Tofu Liberation Front

response on horses

31.01.2006 23:40

Sorry pro-science, you are not omnipresent, quite clearly, though it appears you would like to have us believe it.

The bit about horses came from eye-witness accounts from protesters who had marched from the Said Business School into to town. The police were seen moving quite dangerously through the crowds on George Street, their horses hitting passers-by. Where you there to witness it?

As an ex-sab I have encountered horses many times and know from personal experience that you can have collisions with horses and come away well, since instinct in horses make they shy away naturally from such contact.

Back under your bridge, troll.

FTP

Delusional enslaved front

01.02.2006 19:01

Clever ridiculing title "TOFU LIBERATION FRONT",its very infantly juvenile but conformistly self deceptive,anything to delusionaly pretend that animal rights activists are trying to "liberate" crops and then you can say "oh how stupid" and self congratulatory think "how rational i am".From your fetish capitalist perspective metal machines(cars) are sacred and untouchable and individual gengered independantly willed animals are materialistic resources to be used for the good of "humanity".

How big are your teeth "tofu liberation front" will you be sinking your puny nashers into an individual birds or mammals neck like a lion or a wolf or will you be using an external weopenry object like a gun or a knife for the kill and a hot stove/oven to soften the bodyily flesh for your carniverous teeth(not forgetting the culinary sauces to disguise the taste and improve the colour, will you be borrowing that from your fellow lion or wolf)

Mick

In response

03.02.2006 09:46

Mick - Do you not have a sense of humour...oh dear oh dear looks like a protein deficiency setting in...obviously havn't got mad cow disease but the isecticides in the plants you eat must be keeping you on edge...

FTP - Your so intellectual with your choice of words - omnipresent....nice word, but somehow I think you are bitter at not attending one of the most elite Universities in the world like me. Never mind, I'm sure you did well at the piss poor institution you once attended (if you did at all).

Vegan Liberation Front

foolish boy VLF

04.02.2006 16:38

They hazards of posting on indymedia, VLF, is you dont always know who is posting. You've shown yourself off for the bigot you are. Going to Oxford shows more about you're parents wealth than your ability.

FYI I actually turned down Oxford Uni for a better institution, and have several degrees. Booya to you, laddie.

Dont break a leg when throwing yourself off Magdalen bridge on May Day this year - wouldnt want to see all that fine examples of intelligence doing themselves harm.

FTP

get our priorities straight

05.02.2006 17:13

Priority Number 1: Sort out the suffering of billions of people around the world

Priority Number 2: Sort out the suffering of millions of animals around the world

In that order, not the other way round. Put things in perspective

common sense

Inspector Morse is Not The Oxford Police

06.02.2006 03:17

There is a dichotomy between the Oxford police of Inspector Morse
and the police who abuse protesters when in captivity.

ARC
- Homepage: http://www.worldanimalnet.org

priorities

06.02.2006 13:52

Dont you just find that people who claim to be the voice of 'common sense' are pure arrogant. Dear Sir/Madam, just what makes you think that what you say is actual 'common sense' as opposed to being pure opinion.

As for prioritising humans over animals, an elementary study of the facts will show that the two are very much intertwined and to end abuse of either you have to campaign on both. It is an old but very untrue myth that animal rights activists care more about animals than humans. Most ARAs are involved in all forms of campaigning, animals and humans - comments otherwise are generally born out of ignorance and crude ad homimen attacks on activists.

'Common Sense' I suggest you look into matters a bit more as opposed to regurgitating propaganda.

Ed Rolls
mail e-mail: Edmund.Rolls@psy.ox.ac.uk