Green Vibrations Report On The Peterborough SHAC Rally

July 14, 2008

A Triumph For Animal Rights - Independent Observer Paul Rance On The SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty) Peterborough Rally Against HLS (Huntingdon Life Sciences)

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

The day, for me, started off feeding a myriad assortment of birdlife by and on the River Nene before going to psyche out the environment (!) at just past 12, at the Stanley Recreation Ground starting point. I was a bit disappointed at what seemed to be a low turnout, but, at about 1.20, and with me browsing through a rather interesting book about Pop Art in the library, I heard a helluva commotion taking place outside. A drum pounding, what sounded like a cop siren wailing, a voice through a megaphone shouting, and a lot of loud chanting, so I quickly went outside to see a now very impressive turnout. A lively Jack Russell spectator seemed keen to join the procession and other dogs on the march.

I 'joined' the march outside the police cordon (having a bus to catch I was spooked by horror stories from London demoes of police keeping demonstrators penned in for hours after the event). I liked the idea of a different perspective, watching the police, and Joe Public, watching the demo. The public seemed agog, and I waited for the smart alec 'wag' to shout at the demonstrators, but I heard nothing. The graphic images of animal cruelty on the banners seemed to stun people into respectful silence, and the impact of this demonstration will worry Huntingdon Life Sciences.

I actually got emotional several times thinking so many people had come out in drizzly weather to speak up for those who couldn't.

Going off ahead, I lost the rally for a time after marching through Broadway, Long Causeway, and turning right at Cathedral Square, but caught up with it again at Midgate, where some strange looking, pro-vivisection leafleteer ambushed me with one of his leaflets, which I threw back in his bag. In hindsight, I should have been more polite, as his views may have been shaped by personal tragedy.

The rally ended back where it started, and I left with a happy image of some dogs playing. An old woman demonstrator said to a policeman filming the rally: "I bet you've got no film in that camera." To which the copper replied: "It's digital." Kinda summed up the event, and this was indeed an event. It was a rally with a heavy message, but both the demonstrators and police worked things out. The one thing that will worry vivisectors is when they have no ammunition to throw back at their detractors. This demo was a fantastic, vibrant, uplifting experience, and the bloke dressed as a pirate looked great!

A convoy of demonstrators went on to HLS, and there were no arrests there or at the demo. Those who dismiss animal rights supporters as troublemakers should be force-fed humble pie for a year. But there's a lot of people who sneer at animal rights supporters, people who don't really believe in anything, and they're all over our TV screens. The gentleness of the girls handing out leaflets for SHAC just makes you believe they're leading us up the right path.

This article can be reproduced without permission, and was originally published here: http://www.booksmusicfilmstv.com/AnimalWelfareEnviro/News/PeterboroughSHACRally08.html

Paul Rance is the co-founder of Peace & Freedom Press, with Andy Bruce, and is a member of The Peace & Freedom Band, with underground stalwarts Andy Xport, Angelo Gravity, and Andy Bruce. Paul started the Green Vibrations animal rights/environmental group in 1999, and the booksmusicfilmstv.com website in 2005.

SHAC website Andy Xport page at booksmusicfilmstv.com - Download his songs against animal and human cruelty for free