On the 8th of September 2009 protesters headed to two Cambridge targets named in the map of DSEi arms fair exhibitors and the Cambridge office of BDO who have given a massive loan to the most exposed animal testing lab in the world Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS).
The arms trade leads to the death of humans and non-human animals alike and the protesters want to show there cross movement solidarity with all movements fighting for a just and kind world. HLS test sweetener, GMOs and pesticides on animals and has a history of animal welfare violations and falsifying data.
Watch the protests here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPeHU8TBKNo
The small group of protesters headed to…
DESi Exhibitor: Mott MacDonald
Demeter House, Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS
Arriving at reception protesters told the lady at the desk why they where there and asked to speak to the manager. But the manager didn’t want to talk.
Protesters decided to hold a protest in the reception area and unfurled a banner which the receptionist promptly folded over with protesters promptly re-opening it again! After a bit a staff member decided to drag the protesters out. He began dragging a protester across the floor ripping the protesters t‑shirt. The staff member then stop to grabbed a female protester pushing her out the door. The remaining campaigners held on to each other staying in the office as the staff member tried to pull them across the floor.
The manager of the Cambridge office came down because of all the commotion and told the staff member to stop. The protesters sat down with him and have a long discussion with him about the arms trade. He apologised to us for the staff member who attacked us and admitted he wouldn’t have spoke to us apart from because of what happened. He said he would be filling in paperwork to inform the company about the protest.
HLS (animal lab) Finance: BDO Stoy Hayward — Cambridge
Clarendon House Clarendon Road Cambridge CB2 8FH
Protesters went to the doors of the office block BDO is located in and pushed the buzzer and told the company who they were. An assistant popped down and spoke to them and said he didn’t know anything about it and said he didn’t agree with the cruelty they described to him. He went back up to his office, but the protesters didn’t really feel there issue had been addressed so they went up as well.
A security guard stopped them and protesters explained they just wanted to speak to the people in the office. He didn’t let them go up but did let them wait in the reception area while the company phoned head office. One cop turned up and the security guard said the protesters had been peaceful and went to check about BDO who now said it was nothing to do with the Cambridge office but they didn’t know about the rest of the company! Protesters explained that wasn’t good enough and went outside to voice our opposition on the megaphone.
BDO’s Cambridge office now know about the issue and now have a chance to act and tell their bosses to withdraw the massive loan that is helping keep HLS afloat.
DESi Exhibitor: Atkins
5 Wellbrook Court Girton Road Cambridge CB3 0NA
Campaigners headed to the office of Akins to let them know they object to their company’s involvement in the arms trade. The site manager came and spoke to them and the protesters told him why they were there. His attitude didn’t seem great, but he listened. Protesters unfurled their banner and staff rang the police.
They explained to the manager that they wanted him to contact Head Office to let them know about their objections he refused at first, even referring to the protesters as terrorists at one point when they said trespass was a civil matter, but eventually phoned his head office.
The police arrived and told the manager to tell protesters to leave so they left. The police asked for protesters details but were denied them.
Animal Rights Cambridge
— Homepage: http://animalrightscambridge.webs.com/