Dear Member,
I’m not sure how familiar you are with the protest called Camp Beagle, which is now into its third year? Animal rights protesters have been campaigning to try and shut down a Schedule 2 facility that reeds Beagles for research. The animal technicians and staff at Marshalls have been amazingly courageous and loyal on continuing to look after their animals during protests and harassment against them.
Marshall is a big company and they have managed to get injunctions against the protesters, who have had top respect the boundaries imposed. (1)
I am not in any way minimising the distress for the people working at Marshalls, but the animal rights group’s tactics are to target smaller companies working with Marshalls.
They see these as easier targets and if they can get them to stop working in the sector then that’s a success for them. Make no mistake once they have achieved the aim of closing that company, they are moving on to another target.
One small company that transports animals has had to endure a sustained campaign of years of threats, abuse, damage to their property and emotional distress. They live in a small village, where they have been targeted at home and in the community.
Imagine how you would feel if you were out for a meal with your family and you were followed by people shouting ‘puppy killer’ at you. Scaring children isn’t gong to change international-agreed safety protocols and no one should be subject to this for doing, legal ethical and necessary work.
Two of the protesters were recently in Court charged with offenses against the company owner and the family. Despite admitting a campaign of terror, they were found not guilty of a crime. (2)
Now there is a large, planned protest at the end of May, and they intend to march to the home and of the owner and his family. (3)
I hope that after reading this you feel sad and angry that this can be allowed to happen to someone in our sector, an you are asking the questions ‘is there anything I can do?’
We have taken advise from UAR and we believe that the influence really needs to e at a Government level. The IAT will be writing to Ministers and you will need to write to your local MP, this is what we want to ask for;
– Pledge to support stronger legal protections against harassment for people working got the public good.
– An end to public support for extremist and pledge not to repeat disinformation on this topic.
– Non animal alternatives are not a place where they can replace animals. As people who care about lab animals, we support investment in alternatives and call upon the government to increase it substantially and sustainably. (4)
There are several tools to find your MP’s contact details (www.members.parliament.uk/members/commons)
Please act and write to your MP now while it’s fresh in your mind, say what you feel or you can use some/all of that UAR have helped us to put together, this can be found here (https://www.iat.org.uk/members-news)
If you can offer a tour of your facility that would be hugely useful for your MP’s to see the reality of our work.
Thanks for your help with this.
Best wishes.
Linda Horan
Chair IAT Council
(1) MBR Acres/Marshall BioResources have paid in excess of £3,000,000 to date to get the injunction – Go to MBR Acres and see for yourself Camp Beagle is still there!
(2) Key words ‘Not Guilty’ of all charges during a 6-week Crown Court case.
(3) Incorrect – if indeed it was correct we would doubt if Camp Beagle Supports would be prepared to march 22 miles or nearly a marathon!
(4) To date Camp Beagle has had 3 Parliamentary Debates so good luck with that!
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