First Saturday of the Month Demo Report 2 June 2007

The whole area surrounding South Parks Road was echoing with the chants of ‘Stop the Oxford torture lab’ when around 50 SPEAK supporters arrived at the edge of the exclusion zone. It was an extremely visual demo with a large number of banners being used to get across the message of why people were there and what we are fighting for – for Felix and all the other animals Oxford University would like to torture to death.

Mel spoke to everyone about how the SPEAK campaign had always been about stopping this new animal lab from being built and had never been set up to be confrontational or to fight with the police. However in the light of recent events, the facts that came out in the SPEAK 16 court case and Thames Valley Police’s continuing harassment before, during and after the court case, they have made it clear that it is most definitely personal with them. But our message to TVP is clear – we will not back down. You can harass us, try to intimidate us and persecute us (their own words) as much as you like, we will still keep fighting for the animals who have no one else to help them.

Next it was off to the busy shopping street in Cornmarket where SPEAK supporters lined up in a long line along one side of this pedestrianised area that made the demo very eye catching. Lots of leaflets advertising the national demo on Sat 1 September were handed out and once again a large number of people approached the demo to find out what they could do to help.

It was noted that at least one of the police officers whose evidence was described as ‘inconceivable’ and who was considered by the judge to be an ‘unreliable witness’ was on duty, showing that TVP obviously want to continue policing these demonstrations in the way they have always done, with officers who want to wage a dirty war against protesters and who are prepared to lie about it in court. So much for balanced policing.

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