Animal Rights Cambridge
Recent Action
List of reported Animals Saved
| DATE | NUMBER | ANIMAL | PLACE OF ABUSE |
| 03/11/2006 | 22 | CHICKENS | MEAT FARM |
| 31/12/2006 | 100 | CHICKENS | MEAT FARM |
| 02/01/2007 | CLOSED | CHICKENS | |
| 16/02/2007 | ONE PEN FULL | WILD BOAR | BOAR FARM |
| 21/02/2007 | 40 + 30 | RABBITS / GUINEA PIGS | BREEDER |
| 22/02/2007 | 2 PENS FULL | WILD BOAR | BOAR FARM |
| 28/02/2007 | 6 + 5 | DOGS – WELSH TERRIER / WESTIE | BREEDER (HISTORY OF NEGLECT) |
| 16/03/2007 | BIRDS | GROUSE MOOR | |
| 01/04/2007 10/05/2007 | 3,500 65 13 150 160 18 MANY PENS FULL 150 117 50 12 120 11 210 | CHICKENS WILD BOAR CHICKENS CHICKENS CHICKENS LAMBS PARTRIDGES CHICKENS CHICKENS CHICKENS CHICKENS CHICKENS CHICKENS CHICKENS WILD BOAR TURKEYS DEER | EGG FARM
MEAT FARM |
Estimated total - 4,807 + closed farm (stopped from abusing 1000's of chickens a year)
(sourced from relevant websites )
CAMBRIDGE - Demos, Marches and Leafleting reports
Midsummer House – Valentines Protest
Valentines Day demo at Midsummer House,
While Midsummer House’s customers may have been celebrating Valentines Day, activists held a demo speaking out for the ducks and geese who don’t get the chance to relax and enjoy a free life like we and they do. For animals across the world Valentines Day is just another day of abuse and exploitation.
Around 13 campaigners were outside the restaurant demonstrating against Midsummer House’s sale of Foie Gras. Foie-Gras is commonly produced by force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers swell painfully.
A photographic journalist came and took photographs of the protesters. He stated that he had been tipped off that something was going to happen. After taking a few shots of the group he left. The journalist was probably hoping for a bigger story after seeing the one police car, one police van and total of 4 police officers that joined the campaigners.
After one of the officers decided to take offence at the fact the megaphone siren was on (despite the fact it was pointing away from the restaurant) the campaigners were issued with a Section 14 ordering them to move over to the path. A police officer also told a campaigner that it would be viewed as harassment if the chants were directed at Midsummer House, which meant the activists had to face away from the business.
The campaigners continued with the demo and we believe there were very few customers at Midsummer House. Maybe it’s the fact that Midsummer House sells a product that is considered so unethical its production is banned in the
The campaigners will not give in and will continue to protest against Midsummer House’s sale of Foie Gras. Please join us if you can every Saturday (unless campaign site says otherwise) 12 – 3 P.M. outside Midsummer House, Midsummer Common,
The Midsummer House Campaign
Midsummer House Members Assault Protesters
- Foie Gras Demo 10.02.2008
Some campaigners decided to walk through the gate of the restaurant and went to show placards to guests through the window, who may not have seen them as they arrived before the campaigners. Midsummer House staff came out of the business and one of them aimed a kick towards one of the peaceful activists and then grabbed the megaphone breaking off the mouthpiece.
The campaigners continued the demo for some time outside the restaurant on the public common using the megaphone to the extent it was still working. It was then that a staff member came out of the restaurant as if waiting for someone. A man came up to the campaigner holding the megaphone and grabbed at it, the campaigner did not let go so the man pulled the peaceful campaigner across the common and said he was going to throw it in the river. When the campaigner eventually let go the man opened the megaphone and threw three batteries out. He then threw the broken megaphone to the floor stealing three batteries from the device. The staff member went back into the restaurant grounds.
The staff member came out again - this time it was the police who showed up. They spoke with protesters and issued an incident number for what happened to the protester and left. The protesters stayed a little longer and then left as well.
On Saturday 9th Feb 2008 protesters were again at the restaurant for their usual lunchtime (12 –3 p.m.) Saturday demo. They received a high level of public support with many people signing the petition.
Midsummer House may claim to be civilised but this is how they act! Well, the campaigners will not be intimidated and will continue their peaceful calls for Foie Gras to be dropped from the menu.
National March against HLS
10.11.07
A national march organised by SHAC on Saturday 10th Nov, saw an estimated 500-800 people join in a march from Huntingdon town centre to the Alconbury Huntingdon Life Sciences site.
As people gathered in Huntingdon, Amanda King from SPEAK kicked of the speeches, reminding everyone of why we were in Huntingdon. HLS kill 500 animals every single day, and have been exposed time and again punching dogs, cutting open live primates, and generally abusing animals in more ways than a sane mind could imagine. Amanda spoke of the Newchurch campaign, which successfully closed the Staffordshire Guinea Pig farm, who shipped animals straight into the labs of HLS. For every new type of abuse conjured up inside these labs, activists found a new tactic, and it was this fluid, determined and imaginative approach which won the day. Next up was the ever charismatic Keith Mann, who reinforced the message that we must keep fighting for the animals inside HLS, and that there can be no stronger incentive than saving the lives of the innocent. Finally, Sarah Whitehead took to the stage and read an emotive and powerful letter from Heather Nicholson, currently remanded in prison simply for standing up and speaking out for the animals inside HLS.
On this passionate note, the march around Huntingdon began.
The overwhelming feeling from the local people of Huntingdon was, "where have you been - we missed you!". As we passed, scores of people cheered, clapped, raised their fists and thumbs in solidarity and waved leaflets. As the march weaved through the town center, several local people joined the rear guard. The noise and the visual presence was awesome, with banners as far as the eye could see, trailing all the way back through the town.
We were delighted to see the strength of feeling in the town of Huntigdon, and we thank the residents for making us feel so welcome!
We then travelled in convoy to the gates of hell themselves. The first time such numbers had attended the lab in many years. As people gathered, and tried to take in what they were seeing, Tom Harris from SHAC gave a rousing speech, urging everyone to take up the fight against HLS, and to not let up until we win. He spoke of the current lawsuit against HLS in which they are accused of falsifying data, the abuse of animals recently witnessed at interfauna, and the fact that, as Roche said, it is not a matter of if Huntingdon close it is a matter of when, and when HLS close is up to each and everyone one of us. Veteran activist John Curtain then told the gathered crown of the history of the campaign against HLS, regaling us with inspiring tales from before the SHAC campaign was even conceived. Finally Mel Broughton from SPEAK spoke, about how three SHAC campaigners are currently interned by the British government for nothing more than speaking out in defense of the animals inside HLS.
Then, for two hours, we vent our grief and our anger. The air was rent with noise, as for the first time in years we filled the night air outside HLS with the sound of megaphones, sirens, voices, whistles and drums.
This protest was amazing, for those who came, thank you on behalf of everyone of the 70,000 animals waiting to die inside HLS. To those who couldn't make it, you missed out, and we'll see you next time! "
http://www.youtube.com/v/k-H0Ib3XjI8&rel=1
Anti-Tescos selling Battery Hen Eggs
The national campaign against the sale of battery hen eggs organised by CIWF was represented locally at the Bar Hill Tesco just outside cambridge. Local protesters turned up and handed out lots of leaflets.
Foie Gras Demos
On the 27th October campaigners assembled at Midsummer House to once again voice their objection to the business’s sale of Foie Gras. Foie Gras production is considered so inhumane that the UK law prohibits it and two local authorities have passed motions objecting to the sale of the product.
The campaigners handed out leaflets, chanted and made noise. The protesters informed customers not only about Midsummer House’s involvement in the sale of Foie Gras, but of the fact that Midsummer House only got one star for food hygiene based on an inspection conducted by the local authority. Midsummer House was out ranked by a local church’s homeless shelter called Jimmy’s Night Shelter!
Midsummer House staff couldn’t help displaying childish behaviour, when two of them pulled their trousers down at protesters from a window on the second floor.
The protesters were later joined by PC Bacon 1222 and PC Saddique 732, at which point PC Bacon issued a Section 14 moving the demonstrators to a gate at the other side of the common, giving them only 30 minutes in which to hold the demo. The campaigners tried to end the demonstration but were still told to move.
However there was a silver lining for the protesters as they were informed that Midsummer House had lost two bookings due to the protest!
Despite the police use of section 14 to effectively end the protest by imposing conditions taking protesters far away from their intended target, the protesters are determined to continue their campaign to make Midsummer House Foie Gras free!
Anti Tesco Selling Live Turtles - Leafleting Day
Around 1000 leaflets were handed out in cambridge at the Newmarket Rd and Fulbourn Tesco stores. A successful few hours leafleting the shoppers and informing them of the Viva campaign.
Foie Gras Demo ends in Activists being threatened and assualted
24.06.07
During a demo at Cambridge market place against a stall selling foie gras and other dead animal products, four peaceful demonstrators were subjected to a torrent of abuse, ending in 2 buckets of water being thrown over activists and one man threatening violence/ criminal damage as well as grabbing at a phone being used to video the events and hitting out.
The protestors were handing out leaflets nearby to a stall selling Foie Gras (a pate made from enlarged duck's liver). The man and woman on the market stall were joined by another man from a different stall on the market. When the two men began shouting and swearing at the campaigners, one of them began to film the abusive behaviour on a mobile phone as evidence of the harassment towards the peaceful demonstration. One of the men became very angry and came towards the girl filming, pointing aggressively in her face and shouting, he then began to hit at the phone she was holding and attempting to take it from her. He threatened her saying 'i will break your phone'.
The other stall holder then disappeared and came back with a bucket of water which he threw over a young male. He then muttered, 'I’m going to get more and do it again', then returning with another bucket and again throwing the water at the protestors. This was filmed as evidence.
The activists rang the police, worried about further attacks on them. When police arrived they asked the stall holder whether he had thrown water and whether he had been shouting or swearing. He said he had done all three. When asked why, he said the people leafleting were annoying. To this police officer 2218 stated that ‘unfortunately they hadn’t done anything wrong in the eyes of the law’.
However this attitude soon changed when police officer 2212 Davies said because both parties were guilty of offences we should just forget about the whole thing and leave it at that. Unhappy with this attitude, the campaigners insisted they had not done anything against the law and wished to make a complaint about the assault (water thrown over), attempted assault (the man hitting out/grabbing phone) and threats made towards them (damage of property).
Police officers refused to look at the video evidence of the assaults and instead said that if the victims wished to make a complaint, then they themselves would be arrested for harassment of the stall holders, due to a complaint from the first aggressive individual. A male PC then attempted to get the four campaigner’s details, stating that they were suspects and not giving their details would be an arrestable offence under section 25. Two activists did not give their details, one left and the other was not arrested because the police said they couldn't be bothered.
Foie Gras Demo against 'French Products' stall
10.06.07
A small demonstration was held today in front of the ‘French Products’ stall at the Cambridge city centre market due to its sale of Foie-Gras, a so-called delicacy the production of which commonly involves force-feeding geese by shoving tubes down the animals’ throats. The animals’ liver then swells painfully. With a number of businesses such as Sainsbury's and Waitrose now refusing to sell this product, ‘French Products’ needs to move with the times and end the sale of this unacceptable product. 500 leaflets were handed out and there was alot of support for the protesters and against the sale of Foie Gras.
The stall holder was visibly irritated by the presence of the peaceful protesters, calling them ‘idiots’ and hiding his jars of Foie-Gras. The public, on the whole, however, was brilliantly receptive with one woman even voicing her concerns to the stall holder in French! Hopefully the stall holder will see that Foie-Gras is only a small part of his business and rather than simply lose his trade the sensible option is simply to stop stocking it.
While it is not legal in the UK to force feed birds, the UK government claims they cannot ban its import under international trade rules. No matter what the British public thinks about this abusive product, under current trade rules, it cannot be banned on welfare grounds! To stop this atrocity we need all businesses to stop selling this product.
Please (politely) ask ‘French Products’ to stop selling Foie-Gras, remind them about the cruelty involved and that stopping the sale of the product would probably be not only the right choice but a commercially valid one as well.
You can contact ‘French Products’ by e-mail and by phone
E-mail 
frenchproducts@hotmail.com
Joan's Fast for Felix
26.04.07
Joan Court (88) fasted for two days in
Her protest, was organised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to mark World Week For Animals in Laboratories. The fast, ended with a peace march through the city centre.
McDonalds vegan protest picnic
- Animal Rights protesters in
bravenet.com