Animal Activists demo lair of Oxford lab builders.

Despite backing from the Government to the tune of £100 million, and the vocal support of Tony Blair, it seemed that was not enough to outwit animal rights campaigners who have proven themselves yet again to be one step ahead of them and the University. Contractors for the laboratory are desperate to keep their identity and location a secret, following the highly public withdrawl of the previous contractors when anonymous letters were sent to shareholders of the company.

Efforts to date have included builders wearing masks, all logos and identifying marks being removed from the materials on site and elaborate techniques for transferring workers to and from the site. It is the latter that has failed, despite unmarked mini-buses with smoke-tinted windows, rouse and anti-surveillance vehicle, and a route that turned a half hour journey from the City of Oxford into a two hour one which changed every day.

All this provide to no avail as at 6pm the convoy of cars dropped between 25 and 30 committed activists, who had run the operation in strict secrecy, outside the Fire Services College located in extensive grounds outside of the small Gloucestershire town of Moreton-in-Marsh. It was not long before the green space at the entrance to the world renowned training centre for fire-fighters was covered in banners and placards denouncing the laboratory.

The authorities were completely caught on the hop. It appears that in their desire for secrecy, nobody had told the security at the Fire Services College who were on their property or what to expect. Likewise with the local police who took over 45mins to turn up. Five minutes after their arrival, the gates were locked preventing everyone involved with the site from either entering or leaving. After some sharp orders this was eventually withdrawn.

The police were equally clueless and unbriefed. They made one attempt to stop a protestor from using a megaphone, with PC 343 declaring that describing the types of experiments carried out by Oxford University, all factually evidence, was harassing and he wanted the protestors details under section 50 (aka. ASBOs). This was refused on the grounds that it was simply legitimate protest and neither anti-social or a crime. The two coppers attempting to detain the man were easily seen off by the other protestors, especially when they refused to say what actually did amount to anti-social behavour.

Activists left at 7.30pm having clearly got the message across that there is nowhere to hide, and promising to be back. Speak Campaigns have already announced a follow up demonstration there this Saturday, 3rd June – for details see www.speakcampaigns.org.uk

It remains to be seen what happens next. In all likelihood the builders will eventually be moved on from the Fire Service College. Already there are rumblings of discontent from people on-site who are opposed to the builders presence and others, the builders included, will not want to see daily protests at the site. The question is can they hide themselves again, and what impact this will have on the rest of the contractors who have still to move and start the building of the laboratory in earnest.

The activists' discovery of the builders lodgings is a profound embarrassment for State and University alike, and comes on top of a bad week for them.

Despite mainstream press to the contrary, last week's injunction ruling, limiting protest in the City of Oxford near the lab itself was not the devastating blow to campaigners it was made out to be. The University is seeking to hide the protests from the lab itself, and failed in this, simply having the existing exclusion zone extended. Certainly the protestors are not overly concerned other than at having any civil liberty removed in general.
Meanwhile during the court hearing more embarrassing facts emerged. In an own goal, Pro-animal testing group 'Pro Test', who are in favour of the laboratory, turned out to have put up a web-cam in a building near the laboratory in order to monitor the animal rights protestors. It was of good enough quality that it allowed people to be able to monitor the workers going in and out of the construction site, including reading number-plates.

It also emerged that the University is having problems with contractors involved in other projects nothing to do with the controversial laboratory. It would appear then entire building industry is jittery over contact with the animal rights movement, something yesterday's protest will only exasperate. Already a number have refused to do work with the University despite not being a target of protestors.

Then there was the boot from singer Morrissey who spoke out against the laboratory at a recent gig in Oxford, criticizing vivisectors for their violence to animals, saying it was the only language they understood. This was followed up in an interview in the fanzine “True To You”, where he is quoted as saying animals rights activists were “usually very intelligent people who are forced to act because the law is shameful or amoral".
All in all, not a good week for the laboratory on South Parks Road.