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PROTEST CAMP STARTS AT HIGHGATE FARM - DAY 1

Monday, 16th August

Peaceful activists arrived and started to set up a protest camp near Highgate Farm, breeders and suppliers of ferret and rabbits to the vivisection industry hidden away on Highgate Lane in Normanby by Spital, Market Rassen, Lincolnshire. Within minutes a voice could be heard on the phone to the police, it was Geoffrey Douglas the owner of the 'farm' hiding in the bushes. We continued to set up our camp.

The police soon arrived and we had already set up a basic camp by then, along with our section 6 notices and told the police we were squatting the land and had set up a peaceful protest camp like activists had done so last year.

A few hours later an Inspector turned up and told activists that because of a complaint from Geoffrey Douglas and because of a 'previous event' (which had absolutely nothing to do with the peaceful protesters) at the farm our camp was in violation of section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, which was brought out to stop home demos.

We debated that the camp was peaceful and legal, and that we had no legal problems last year and that any 'previous events' which were unrelated to our peaceful protest and had nothing to do with us, we have a legitimate right to freedom of assembly and lawful protest. However the Inspector said he would arrest us unless we complied with his directions, which was to leave the site with very little notice, but that we were 'allowed' to protest there between 7am the next day until 7pm. But that we would not be allowed to stay outside the farm during the night time.

The treat of arrest was imminent and meant we had no real choice as if we had stayed we would have been arrested and maybe bailed away anyway, so activists decided that at least they would come back in the morning and continue their protest the next day. The protest camp will continue and activists will be there every day from 7am and will set up the camp us usual and we will not be deterred, we may well get more experience in setting up the camp and tatting down in the evening then we thought though!

If you would like to come and support the protest camp during the day, then please come down after 7am in the morning. Please phone the camp first to get up to date information. The activists are asking for solidarity and support so they can carry on their peaceful protest highlighting the needless cruelty of this laboratory supplier and will be available to talk to the press about these very important issues.

The camp number is: 07973 722978 - We look forward to seeing you there!






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	home >> news PROTEST CAMP STARTS AT HIGHGATE FARM - DAY 1 Monday, 16th August Peaceful activists arrived and started to set up a protest camp near Highgate Farm, breeders and suppliers of ferret and rabbits to the vivisection industry hidden away on Highgate Lane in Normanby by Spital, Market Rassen, Lincolnshire. Within minutes a voice could be heard on the phone to the police, it was Geoffrey Douglas the owner of the 'farm' hiding in the bushes. We continued to set up our camp. The police soon arrived and we had already set up a basic camp by then, along with our section 6 notices and told the police we were squatting the land and had set up a peaceful protest camp like activists had done so last year. A few hours later an Inspector turned up and told activists that because of a complaint from Geoffrey Douglas and because of a 'previous event' (which had absolutely nothing to do with the peaceful protesters) at the farm our camp was in violation of section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, which was brought out to stop home demos. We debated that the camp was peaceful and legal, and that we had no legal problems last year and that any 'previous events' which were unrelated to our peaceful protest and had nothing to do with us, we have a legitimate right to freedom of assembly and lawful protest. However the Inspector said he would arrest us unless we complied with his directions, which was to leave the site with very little notice, but that we were 'allowed' to protest there between 7am the next day until 7pm. But that we would not be allowed to stay outside the farm during the night time. The treat of arrest was imminent and meant we had no real choice as if we had stayed we would have been arrested and maybe bailed away anyway, so activists decided that at least they would come back in the morning and continue their protest the next day. The protest camp will continue and activists will be there every day from 7am and will set up the camp us usual and we will not be deterred, we may well get more experience in setting up the camp and tatting down in the evening then we thought though! If you would like to come and support the protest camp during the day, then please come down after 7am in the morning. Please phone the camp first to get up to date information. The activists are asking for solidarity and support so they can carry on their peaceful protest highlighting the needless cruelty of this laboratory supplier and will be available to talk to the press about these very important issues. The camp number is: 07973 722978 - We look forward to seeing you there!
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