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PROTESTS AT BARCLAYS AND BIOCAIR IN CAMBRIDGE

Thursday, 7th May

Barclays - Activists in Cambridge met at Barclays in the city centre once again to let the public know about Barclays' dirty dealings with notorious animal abuse laboratory Huntingdon Life Sciences. Customers and passers by took leaflets and saw the SHAC placards showing the sort of thing that goes on in HLS.

A medical student that was pro-animal testing came and spoke to campaigners, after a bit of discussion on the scientific argument he agreed that there should be an independent inquiry into the area. The discussion then moved to the ethical argument and he admitted he couldn't justify animal testing ethically! He went on to talk about stem cell research saying it would bring an end to animal experimentation.

Later a police officer in a 4x4 from NETCU dropped-by, he asked us to move away from the doors and toward the corners. We accommodated
his request but in order to hand leaflets to people entering the Barclays it was necessary for one of us to move a little closer. The officer came back and told the activist to move or he could apply a Section 14, the activist disputed the legality of this. Luckily it was soon time to go and the campaigners left the officer sitting in his vehicle.

This demo is in solidarity with the SmashEDO campaign as Barclays is also involved in supporting the EDO/ITT arms business. Shame on
you Barclays!

Biocair - Heading to Biocair to see the workers off home, campaigners let the company know about the puppy killers in Huntingdon and told them to cut their links with HLS. Biocair has been a long time target and it's time they saw sense and pulled out from the sinking ship that
is HLS.

We gave the people in Biocair's offices a chance to hear our message while having our pictures taken by staff at the company! We then waited for the employees to leave but no one appeared from the company. A police woman turned up and told us that we had a right to protest but tried to tell us certain bits were private property. An activist spoke to her about the legal implications of it being a quasi-public area and the fact no one had asked us to leave and the fact the area was not owned by Biocair (as there were a number of companies around).

The officer then went into the company and stayed their for about half an hour. She came back out and spoke to campaigners again, as she did so the workers began to stream out of the office and the megaphone was used to voice our opposition to Biocair's involvement with HLS.

In an attempt to play “good cop” the officer told the activist that they have discussed the law with her that he knew the law better and she only knew the law somewhat! While it was clearly a bit of “good cop” play acting it was nice to have the “good cop” act for once rather then all the “bad cop” acts we get from NETCU!

Activists stayed a bit longer and then left. It was a good demo and we hope Biocair will one day soon make the right choice and drop the animal abusers at HLS!

Until all are free...

SHAC Cambridge