Around a week ago, a couple of polite phone calls were made to M Bliss Brickworks in Earls Barton to ask for a short meeting with the Managing Director. The point of the conversation was to discuss the work M Bliss are carrying out with Leicester University's project to build an animal research laboratory. A polite conversation was held with a lady who assured the campaigners that she would pass the message onto the appropriate person who would get back to them within a few days. We would like to thank the lady for taking our message and passing it on, but unfortunately, nobody has come back to us as yet.

On Wednesday the 2nd of June, around thirteen campaigners (unlucky for some) decided to hold a demonstration outside the building of M Bliss Brickworks - Unit 1, Mallard Close, Earls Barton, Northampton, NN6 0JF. Two campaigners buzzed the intercom purely to ask for a quick chat to let M Bliss politely know their intentions. Something must have been wrong with their intercom as the campaigners clearly heard them having a private discussion which included the words "what shall we tell them, what shall we tell them?" Oh dear!! The campaigners were still listening in when the door was opened by a man who seemed vaguely willing to talk to them. The man was asked to pass a message on to the MD (who apparently is away this week).

Our message was and is simple. Leicester University currently kill 101 animals every day and their "research" also involves the use of dogs and primates:

 http://www.noleicesterlab.co.uk/info/leicester.html

With current medical research involving the use of animals being responsible for causing more than 10,000 human deaths in the UK alone each year, campaigners against animal abuse are also campaigning against human abuse:

 http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/online/research/injure.html

More information:

 http://www.safermedicines.org/

Many companies' pull out of working with businesses (and it is a business) who endorse such unethical practices and we are appealing to M Bliss' better nature to do the same. It is true that many businesses such as M Bliss do not initially realise what kind of brutality is involved in vivisection/animal testing and once they do realise, a lot will pull out. This is always greatly appreciated from the campaigners as they understand it takes a brave and intelligent person to back down and admit they were wrong and hadn't realised what they were getting involved with.

As the demonstration was started, some people across the road were grinning at the campaigners and seemed slightly aghast that here were some actual real life animal rights (and human rights) campaigners. One of them shouted out that the campaigners were early and they were meant to start the demonstration at 2pm. One campaigner approached the small group of men and had a chat with one of them. The man the campaigner spoke to wished the campaigners a nice day. Thanks very much!!

Another passer-by said he understood the cause but people were just "trying to make some money". The campaigner replied that most businesses wouldn't supply brickwork to a concentration camp for humans so there really wasn't any difference. Would he put his animal in such a place? Obviously, he said no and said he could see our point.

The campaigners also found out that some of the other businesses on the estate had been "warned" that animal rights campaigners would be appearing outside M Bliss today.

Initially the demonstration was fairly quiet with sporadic bursts of information being given out on the megaphone. But then when the police arrived and were seen coming out of the M Bliss building with the anti-vivisection booklet we had kindly given the man who opened the door earlier wrapped in a plastic bag, it was felt that the workers were being a bit inconsiderate. After all, the booklet was for them and not the police. Workers inside the M Bliss building also started to take photos of the campaigners. It was felt that the campaigners had been polite and accommodating, but after these two incidents it was agreed that the demonstration should be a bit more pro-active and so the megaphone was used more frequently. We feel there was no need for this dismissive and intimidating behaviour from M Bliss workers as the campaigners understood that the MD may wish to read up on animals used in research and may be a bit naive regarding the Leicester University contract. A lot of people are indeed unaware of what goes on inside these places.

Message to the MD of M Bliss Brickworks: We are asking you to please do your own research into what vivisection/animal testing involves. Remember we are not against medical advances as many campaigners have lost their loved ones to cancer and other life threatening diseases.

We would like to see a better future for humans AND animals. M Bliss - do you agree? ARE you an ethical company? Do you care?