MP Michael Fabricant spoke in the House of Commons in early February to denounce extremists animal rights activists who have been harassing the owners of David Hall & Partners, which breeds guinea pigs for medical research.
Although not as well known as the harassment against Huntingdon Life Sciences, groups such as Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs and individual activists have emulated the strategy of groups and individuals trying to bring down HLS.
Fabricant described such tactics in his speech,
One of my constituents runs a guinea pig farm for medical research which is controlled by the Home Office to protect the animals and to ensure the guinea pigs are bred and kept humanely.
He has written to me saying: ‘Before New Year’s Eve, the activists smashed all the downstairs windows of my 86-year-old father’s home whilst he was in the house, and then threw red paint bombs through the smashed windows. He was petrified. Between Christmas and New Year they were also at my niece’s house . . . and they turned off all her water and then concreted the stop cock so she could not get it back on.’
The fascinating thing — and what is exactly the problem in the UK — was the response from Cabinet Minster Hain who is the Leader of the Commons,
Many of us have a lot of sympathy with animal rights movements and support them. We want proper protection for animals and an end to cruelty, but to take things to such an extent and to terrorize scientists, doctors and others involved is wholly unacceptable.
So the irrational nonsense spouted by the animal rights movement is a good thing, it’s just some of the tactics they use that are a problem for Hain. Gee, I can’t imagine why the animal rights movement is so emboldened in the UK.
Source:
MP’s fury at animal rights attack. Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Post, February 3, 2004.