Yesturday we turned up at 2pm expecting to see the usual queue of people getting their tickets, but it was surprisingly quiet! We were expecting the Saturday shows to be their busiest, but were glad of the smaller turnout yesturday, It seems people had found better ways to spend their afternoon, but we stayed to leaflet and spread awareness about this campaign.

A lot of people said they were only going because of the discount tickets, and one lady said that she didn't realise they used animals in circuses any more and actually apologised for going in!

Yet again we saw the horses in their cells, looking bored and miserable. The boxes where the Shetland ponies are kept has had an extra fence put up in front of it, it seems they didn't like us taking pictures of the poor ponies circling in their tiny area. As one of the Shetland ponies was led out for performance time, we could clearly see it pulling back against the reigns.

Someone said to us that if the animals didn't like performing tricks, they simply wouldn't do it! But they have no way of escaping, and no-one sees the training, and what goes on behind the scenes. It still doesn't justify the travelling around and constantly being tethered.

Our campaign is certainly having an effect as a new placard appeared inside the circus fences to defend the circus against the ADI reports and the presence of activists at the circus. A response to this is about to be sent to the Portsmouth News and is available on the SARC website this weekend. See  http://www.sarconline.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=532&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Many Circuses are just as successful without using animals, we hope Zippos will realise this soon, but just in case they don't we will be keeping this campaign regular until their last night, and will be passing on our knowledge of this horrible performance to activists up and down the country so that they can receive a cold welcome from activists nationwide. SARC will be a constant reminder to them that what they are doing is wrong and SARC will make life uncomfortable.