Charges Dropped Against Animal Rights Campaigners
Lancaster Animal Rights Group | 15.03.2007 08:20
Five anti-vivisection activists charged with disorderly conduct after a protest in Blackpool have today had their charges dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. The five were arrested at a protest outside the Vodafone shop in Church Street, Blackpool, on 25th March 2006 and charged with displaying insulting pictures under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986.
The protest related to the construction of a new animal-experimentation laboratory by Oxford University, and drew attention to Vodafone’s financial support of Oxford University. The five activists held a banner, handed out leaflets and displayed graphic posters showing primate experiments of a type similar to those already carried out at Oxford. Police told the protestors the pictures were offensive and were causing distress, but the five continued to hold their protest, and were arrested.
The decision to drop these charges follows the acquittal at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court last month of two other campaigners arrested at a similar protest outside Vodafone and charged with an identical offence.
One of the campaigners who had their charge dropped, Dr. Joanne Moodie, 28, from Lancaster said, “Most animal experiments are funded through taxpayers’ money. The public have a right to know what the Government is doing with their money, and the police and the Crown Prosecution Service should stop interfering with this democratic process. This prosecution has been a complete waste of police and court time, and we have had this hanging over us for a year.”
Dr. Moodie added, “We shall not be intimidated by heavy handed policing of our peaceful protests, and we will continue to tell the public that animal experiments are not only cruel, but hold back medical progress by giving misleading results.”
The five activists say they will be seeking legal advice on legal action that can be taken against the police for breaching their rights under the Human Rights Act.
Notes
1. The arrests of the five campaigners on 25th March 2006 are part of a series of 20 identical arrests under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 that took place between March and July 2006 in Blackpool and Preston during protests outside Vodafone shops. The other 15 cases have either already been dropped, or the defendants were acquitted in court.
2. Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 states that “a person is guilty of an offence if he
(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or
(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,
within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby”.
3. Article 10 (1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 states “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers”.
4. The protests are linked with the campaign to stop the construction of a new animal research facility at Oxford University. More information can be found at
http://www.speakcampaigns.org.uk.
The decision to drop these charges follows the acquittal at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court last month of two other campaigners arrested at a similar protest outside Vodafone and charged with an identical offence.
One of the campaigners who had their charge dropped, Dr. Joanne Moodie, 28, from Lancaster said, “Most animal experiments are funded through taxpayers’ money. The public have a right to know what the Government is doing with their money, and the police and the Crown Prosecution Service should stop interfering with this democratic process. This prosecution has been a complete waste of police and court time, and we have had this hanging over us for a year.”
Dr. Moodie added, “We shall not be intimidated by heavy handed policing of our peaceful protests, and we will continue to tell the public that animal experiments are not only cruel, but hold back medical progress by giving misleading results.”
The five activists say they will be seeking legal advice on legal action that can be taken against the police for breaching their rights under the Human Rights Act.
Notes
1. The arrests of the five campaigners on 25th March 2006 are part of a series of 20 identical arrests under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 that took place between March and July 2006 in Blackpool and Preston during protests outside Vodafone shops. The other 15 cases have either already been dropped, or the defendants were acquitted in court.
2. Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 states that “a person is guilty of an offence if he
(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or
(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,
within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby”.
3. Article 10 (1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 states “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers”.
4. The protests are linked with the campaign to stop the construction of a new animal research facility at Oxford University. More information can be found at
http://www.speakcampaigns.org.uk.
Lancaster Animal Rights Group