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Carnival Against Vivisection

NETCU WATCH | 17.09.2008 17:56 | Stop Sequani Animal Testing | Animal Liberation | Repression | Social Struggles | Birmingham

The general consensus of the demonstration was that it was a complete success.

People have been campaigning against the laboratory now called Sequani for decades and 200 souls braved the rain to denounce vivisection, to show solidarity with Sean Kirtley and to make it clear to the police and their masters in Whitehall that we will not allow them to stop protest unchallenged. For those not already aware West Mercia spent millions suppressing ANY protest at Sequani and attempted to imprison not just Sean but his 5 co-defendants who were acquitted, (Dave accepted a plea bargain). We are under no illusions that if the 6 had either pleaded guilty or been found guilty that the next 5 defendants would have been imprisoned if possible as well. It would then have been open season on anyone protesting against vivisection (including those who choose to focus on scientific arguments eg EFMA), closely followed by any other protesters who upset those in power. Bear in mind the Secretary of State can apply SOCPA 145 and 146 to ANY demonstration, there need not be a debate in Parliament. We are under no illusions that once the police have come up with a good plan of action (it may take some time.) they may try once more to shut us up in this locality with dawn raids and silly charges.

The “carnival” began some people meeting on the grass verge, others walking around the back fields, others refusing to stand where they were told. Fitwatchers (many thanks) blocked cameras and the vast majority of activists refused to be served with what were found out later to be section 14 notices. This meant that officers resorted to chasing people (even passers by) with bits of paper. In addition to playing tag they even stopped the train at the station detaining all passengers to serve the notices prior to people getting off the train according to the Ledbury reporter.

Those on the verge opposite the station reached a consensus that it would be a good idea to turn left towards the labs and a dash was made down the Bromyard road. The police responded (albeit slowly) and blocked the activists, arrested a couple of people and hit others. After a short while a large group ran towards the back fields via the road out of Ledbury. Others decided to go on the police approved march, only the police had changed their minds! They blocked our way into Ledbury and so activists went on to join the others down the road. A footpath was made good use of but unfortunately only 20 activists made it through with 2 evidence gatherers who were pleading for backup. The 20 made it through Ledbury to Sequani Clinical where they do human trials testing shampoo, face creams etc which have been animal tested. A decision was made after a quick demo there to go back and on returning to the Homeend all activists joined up for a big lively demo’ through Ledbury (the police had decided to let us march after all). To the best of our knowledge this is the largest march in Ledbury for a least a decade. On the Ledbury Portal (a local website) a local can be heard saying that they never see a police officer in the town when they are needed. Roads were blocked for most of the day by police.

West Mercia police, government, Netcu and the FIT teams had it clearly demonstrated to them that if they persecute us that we are not afraid to fight back. Indeed, considering that prior to 2006 demonstrations rarely went into double figures the promises made to Sequani by operation Tornado about getting rid of us all have been shattered.

The Hereford Journal reported that to actually police the demo’ West Mercia persuaded Hereford United football team to play on the Friday night instead of Saturday afternoon. This is regrettable for the football fans ordinary folk who may have had their enjoyment of the game curtailed possibly to cause resentment against us. However Hereford united are sponsored by Cargill a really nasty company who kill millions of chickens for McDonalds, force GMOs into the marketplace, destroy rainforests, etc, etc, none of us were too upset for them, they were also visited by activists who had an impromptu picnic outside the abattoir thus disrupting a shift change.

According to the police “the purpose of the assembly is part of an ongoing campaign to intimidate staff working at Sequani with an intention to force closure”. WRONG, the purpose of campaigning against that hell hole is to stop animals being tortured to death, to stop corporations medicalising normal human conditions, to stop pollutants being forced on us, to stop people dying from poorly tested medications for example Zyban, Baycol and because we defend the right of the ordinary person to question the corporations and government. We do not care if Sequani does scientific research on medications and other essential products without torturing and killing as long as they abuse no-one so we do not necessarily want to shut them down. Our aim is to stop their violence against others for a profit, not to intimidate workers. In fact we want to remain approachable so that workers if they so wish to have the means by which to expose cruelty and any illegal practices. If anyone is intimidated by a few banners and leaflets in what is supposedly a democracy then that is pitiful. A bit like one of us saying that we feel “intimidated” by a Countryside Alliance stall in Worcester, or a McDonalds advert and expecting the police to spend 2 % of their entire years budget investigating the complaint!
Thanks to all those who came to Ledbury to show solidarity especially to those who are usually embroiled with other very important campaigns.

We will be having a demonstration at Sequani at Halloween 16.00 onwards for all who want to come. We will do some food this time. Wear costumes, bring your own banners regarding SOCPA if you want to. We will be able to provide some accommodation just ring us. As the next day is November 1st we will be doing something then as well in the area.

NETCU WATCH
- e-mail: warn at riseup dot net
- Homepage: http://netcuwatch.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 17 comments

Go to the demo.... don't get accomodation!

17.09.2008 23:32

There is lots of rumours of a grass operating within WARN. Once again they try to get activists details by asking people to contact them, this time with the offer of accomodation. Go to the demo, just don't contact WARN asking for accomodation, your details will end up somewhere you don't want them.

NoGrass


Dear no grass

18.09.2008 09:12

1. There are lots of rumours floating around because of your paranoia, once again why do you think there is a grass in WARN? Because 2 people did not get charged? If so I can think of quite a few other activists who might be suspect too. Only problem is that our numbers would be slashed in half if we excluded everyone who did not get charged for something or indeed did an action which others disagreed with!
2. I am one of the people offering accomodation, obviously 6 Boat Lane, Evesham has been on thousands of leaflets and posters. I strongly suspect that the police are watching the house and I do get a bit of hate mail, bailiffs and dodgy blokes turning up from corporations with dodgy bits of paper. None of this bothers me though I know many who would never pop in for a cuppa because of all this (which I respect). However, activists often stay here when they are passing through as I have stayed at many other activist homes when I am away. Sometimes I do not know them and they do not know me. Yes there is a small risk that a police officer could turn up, but as we should all assume that our houses and phones are bugged, we should never discuss actions with those not involved and assume that we are under surveillance then I think that it is better to try and help other activists with food, travel, accomodation etc where possible, meet new people and learn from them rather than assume that they are informers/infiltrators.
3. Of course the police want informers and are trying to infiltrate. We should all be careful but one of the reasons they do this is to create a climate of fear and mistrust amongst us. You do not have to trust anyone but if attending demos etc we can all be civil and not help the police by spreading unfounded rumours about other activists.
4. On the other hand... we have noticed that the mice have new toys, the rabbits have posh diamond collars and the dogs have huge bones, we suspect that they might have turned.

Lynn

lynn Sawyer
mail e-mail: lynn@sawyer8749.freeserve.co.uk


Answer to point number 1

18.09.2008 11:39

Lynn,

This has nothing to do with the arrest/no prosecution of 2 from WARN. This is seperate suspicions. We will be passing on the information to other members of WARN once we have confirmed or disproved the suspicions.

What we are saying is that activists should not be passing any info which could ID them to certain members of WARN. By all means go to the demo, the animals shouldn't suffer because of these rumours but no activist should be giving information which could be used to ID them to WARN at this time.

No other group seems to find it necesary for activists to get in touch with them when they are organising a demo. Why is WARN different?

NoGrass


Response to no grass

18.09.2008 14:27

Ermm...so you are saying that no other group has ever offered a phone number as a contact so that new activists/ activists who may need directions/ activists who need information can contact that group. Are you being serious??? No-one in this area gives a damn about activists i.ds, in fact many activists I know use false names and addresses to protect themselves. So what? As long as I don't have to call someone "thingy" or "whatsit" I don't care what they call themselves or where they live. Offering limited accomodation for people who might want it (no heating, crazy creatures, loo that blocks..a lot) is hardly an attempt to get people's id, no-one will be bothered either way if people want to stay or not. Get a grip.

lynn Sawyer
mail e-mail: lynn@sawyer8749.freeserve.co.uk


SO BLOODY BORING!

18.09.2008 14:46

You are totally full of shit, if anyone knows what these rumours are please post them on here, if not put up or shut the fuck up about referring to WARN as spys, grasses and other rubbish. The people who update the WARN website and network consists of a very small group of well trusted activists within the AR movement. Myself and Lynn Sawyer are very approachable people at demos why not come and accuse us in public in front of activists who know us and what we do instead of hiding behind a faceless internet ID.

We as "WARN" never offer accommodation to anyone or lifts to demos.

This is nothing more than police bullshit trying to cause a rift in our movement by getting us to suspect each other of being grasses. And YES that's what a police informer would tell people.

These no evidence accusations are getting pathetic WARN have tried bloody hard to help animals not to be undermined by tossers on IndyMedia, if you have concerns ring us or if you have proof then post it on here if not stop shit stirring you pathetic idiots.

Chris Dowdeswell
WARN

Chris Dowdeswell


Well said.....

18.09.2008 15:22

Chris and Lynn. Cops and pro viv groups who come in here to try and divide are quite funny really. No1 believes these ridiculous stories and we as a movement can see through it. NOTHING will break the AR movement so they are really wasting their time. Still, it's refreshing in a kind of perverse way that they are so concerned about us.

I have better things to do than come on here really but it's always good for a laugh when I need a break from winning the fight against animal abuse. You know the old saying; first they laugh......blah blah blah.....

SG


Yawn...

18.09.2008 15:31

This is all just very very very boring. No link, just the same person again and again screaming "i heard a rumour there might be a grass" and therefore rounding posts off with "you CAN'T trust them". Not sure how a rumour turns to fact overnight but anyway...

The only conspiracy is the inconsistency of posts by 'No Grass'. Firstly they claim that they have heard a lot of rumours (e.g. reading their own probably) therefore do not trust them because blah blah blah WILL happen. If you heard a rumour, how do you know its true?

I hear rumours everyday, you can even buy them weekly from celebrity gossip magazines, but without any evidence apart from your own posts; you're making a joke out of yourself!

Anyone with more than 5 brain cells can work this one out.

bored


NoGrass

18.09.2008 17:25

If anyone who is a genuine animal rights advocate suspects someone of being undercover, then they wouldn't come on here and post such stuff. They would find out for sure, so they had definitive proof, and then state that proof to whoever needed to know. You really cannot go around making such claims and like I say, a genuine AR person wouldn't do this.

I really do think therefore that you are a pro-viv from a pro viv group or a police officer (same thing). If you have any respect for animals and the fight towards their liberation, I don't think you should come on here and post these sorts of things anymore.

If you are a genuine AR person (unlikely in my opinion), you should go get this so called evidence and until then, stay quiet. Honestly, you're fighting a losing battle cos we will not be disrupted.

SG


They grased up to the BBC

18.09.2008 21:32

WARN have admited to grassing up a sanctuary used by local AR people to the BBC. Since then the sanctuary in question was investigated by the police looking for liberated animals.

NoGrass


.....

19.09.2008 03:00

Oh haha, so now you think you cannot win and turn us against each other by your original plan and now try and stir up trouble re Marions sactuary. Pahlease.......lol.......

It's a bit like talking to the public when they can't win the vivisection argument with us and then start banging on about "terrorism".

WARN, I can only think you are being really effective in your campaigning and the opposition have it in for your group. I really wouldn't waste your time coming on here and defending yourselves as we all know and understand what real AR campaigners are all about and it aint this hilarity.

))

SG


You mean the "santuary" that was exposed for animal cruelty?

19.09.2008 07:58

Watch the disgusting video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVBYTxywKLw

If grassing up these days is telling the media that animals have no food or water, were living in dirty conditions, if they survived it, and clearly neglected, then that's exactly what WARN did, and would do again I imagine. The RSPCA even served warnings on the makeshift animal "sanctuary", later removing animals that the owner clearly could not cope with (or shouldn't of had where he did; they weren't too keen to tell). Not sure how that’s grassing up an individual though, only exposing animal cruelty, therefore giving animals a better chance.

I think it may be more obvious who this might be now; the argument has resorted to this before.

militant


To Lynn Sawyer

19.09.2008 08:33

ESCP

Ray Market
mail e-mail: r_market_and_t_janes@gmail.com


Militant -stop covering up

19.09.2008 09:52

We both know I'm not talking about Swindon and District I'm on about Westlea. I'm talking about the other sanctuary Warn tried to threaten, resorting to grassing them up to the BBC and resulting in them being investigated by the police looking for liberated animals after.

Putting up a video of a completely different sanctuary shows how desperate Warn are to try to hide their actions.

NoGrass


Link to the back story

19.09.2008 10:03

Here's where Warn admit to grassing up the animal sanctuary, it's on of the comments halfway down. This is NOT the sanctuary militant tried to mislead everyone with a video of a seperate sanctuary about but another one.This is Westlea not Swindon and District. There was no animal cruelty here, just a witch hunt. The sanctuary shut down and the rescued and liberated animals had to be quickly found others by local AR. Read the thread.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2008/05/398152.html?c=all



NoGrass


What are you on about (yet again!!)?

19.09.2008 10:37

I'm not misleading anyone? You mentioned a santuary Warn tried to close, there are two, I obviously refered to the wrong one. Yet again - not proof that Warn is infiltrated or otherwise aren't in it for the animals. You also refered to me as Warn - I am not. I am a supporter of Warn, I might even live in the west, but just because I'm vegan doesn't mean I "am" Warn - otherwise there would be millions of us...Warn is a network - grow up.

As for the santuary, it speaks for itself as the financial fraud was leaked.

From BBC Inside Out: Animal sanctuary investigation  http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2008/04/30/west_pet_sanctuary_s13_w10_feature.shtml

"...conditions at the sanctuary itself that are questionable at best"

"Customers are led to believe the money – about £400 to £600 a week - goes straight to the charity. In fact, none of it is ever declared in the charity's accounts."

"The charity received more than £30,000 but none of the money was declared in the charity's accounts to the Charity Commission."

Warn openly campaigned against the santuary, speaking to the media and likewise (as you linked) posted on indymedia about it. The owners were clearly taking the money selflessly for themselves, probably as a retirement fund or something. I don't think its too hard to grasp the concept of people keeping a few pets, calling them re-homed, although not looking for homes, then asking for money by pretending to be a charity. Its basic fraud.

militant


The BBC

19.09.2008 21:52

So people believe everything the BBC tell them now do they? The BBC regularly broadcast lies about animal rights. They even use crap programs like Casuality to have a go at Animal Rights trying to make out we are all violent butters with bombs. The put so much bias into their programs on animal rights you often have to wonder if Tipu Aziz produced the program! Look at what they tried to do in that documentary with Felix in it. I wouldn't trust anything the BBC have to say when it comes to animals.

This is a really odd situation, I don't know who to believe in it to be honest. I can't believe any genuine animal rights network would involve the BBC in anything, their links to the police/special branch are well known. I don't understand why anyone would contact the BBC against an animal sanctuary, local papers possibly but the BBC never.

I do know one thing though, never trust the BBC.

Bex x

Bex


What about the RSPCA taking animals?

22.09.2008 12:29

Hello? Read the article, I saw the news on Midlands today, they tried to hide areas from the BBC they questioned the treasurer who resigned over the dodgy financial dealings without cuts or editing the interview was one full shot... What about the countless accounts of previous workers who had tried in vein to get this place shut down?

For the RSPCA to have actually taken animals (even though they usually don't give a shit about animals) means the place must have been bad.

It is obvious that you cannot trust the BBC, I agree but they don't generally put their arses on the line and send in undercover journalists to investigate without good cause.

If not for WARN people would have continued to take animals to these people and made donations which would have lined their pockets even more.

Even if this sanctuary was so called "animal rights" which sounds like bullshit, does that mean we should let animals suffer to protect our own. If an AR activist was molesting children would we protect them? NO the fact is if you cannot run a sanctuary you do not deserve to run a sanctuary!

Mighty Woooosh