Live animal exports demonstrations: LONDON:
QCA members attended the Compassion in World Farming protest on August 10th in London : “NO to live exports”.
From the left: Ann Johnson of Sussex East AM, Judith Campbell, Muswell Hill, Gemma, Chichester, and Julie Hinman, Worthing.
~ Photos courtesy of Thom Bonneville, Muswell Hill Meeting.
Several of us from QCA went on a march on Saturday 10th August, in London, to protest against live export of animals from Kent, organised by Compassion in World Farming.
It was so well attended there were not enough leaflets for the protesters to give out along the way. The route ran from Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square and took in many crowded streets.
Please see www.ciwf.org.uk
for a video of people who trail the transported animals to their destination.
Behind the Scenes.
Julie Hinman. Worthing Meeting.
Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE) hold a monthly demonstration outside the Eastern Dock terminal entrance at the Port of Dover on the 1st Saturday of every month between 12 noon and 3pm.
This is KAALE’s report of the demonstration on August 3rd :
On Saturday August 3rd, some 200+ people attended the rally against the exports outside Dover Eastern Dock.
Gavin Grant, CEO of the RSPCA, couldn’t make it, but he sent his second in command and his chief inspector for the South East, plus various other RSPCA workers.
The rally was peaceful and received lots of support from the passing public on the busiest day of the year for people going on holiday through Dover.
Our aim is to raise awareness amongst the general public, as there are millions out there who don’t even know it is going on and of course the government would like it to remain that way.
After the deputy chief executive of the RSPCA had spoken and re-committed the charity to the campaign, Claire Hawkins, Labour candidate for our area, gave a rousing speech followed by speakers from KAALE who also seemed well on form.
We had various councillors from Dover District Council in attendance and the council are to hold an investigation into the trade in September with a view to calling for a ban from them.
We hope to give evidence against the trade and we have a lot of that. The RSPCA and Compassion are also to be asked to put forward their findings and we feel confident that a motion to get behind the campaign put forward by the Labour wing will go through.
Once again, thank you to all who came.
Yvonne Birchall, secretary of KAALE.
The RSPCA says:
Every year millions of animals – some as young as two weeks old – are transported throughout Europe. Many suffer from stress, exhaustion and thirst – some even die in transit.
When the trade was from Ramsgate, RSPCA inspectors were invited to be at the port to observe what was going on – and warning notices were issued – but after the trade moved to Dover the RSPCA was not allowed to go into the port by Dover Harbour Board.
Whilst at Ramsgate, animals were found with defective watering and ventilation systems, animals were found with injuries and animals were forced to travel in unsuitable weather conditions. We now fear the same may happen at Dover.
RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant said, “We want to make sure that holidaymakers who are sailing off to have a delightful time with their families on the continent understand that sadly from the Port of Dover animals are being shipped to a grisly fate in European abattoirs.
“We want to urge those holidaymakers and all Dover residents to speak out and to send a very clear message to Dover Harbour Board that RSPCA inspectors should be inside the port looking at what is going on for those animals and that people should be doing everything they can to urge the Government and the European Union to end this really grim trade.”
There are now only cursory examinations of the animals at the port before they are loaded to begin their journey from Dover and the RSPCA is not allowed to see the animals at any time.
Grant added: “This trade has no place in a modern, civilised compassionate society like Britain and it really must stop. This is part of your community and the people of Dover must stand up and speak out – because the animals cannot do it for themselves.
“We are urging the people of Dover to send a very clear message to Dover Harbour Board that RSPCA inspectors should be inside the port looking at what is happening to those animals,” he added.
RSPCA has called consistently on the Dover Harbour Board to allow its inspectors into the port, so they can ensure the welfare needs of the animals are being met and see that all rules and regulations are being adhered to by the transporters. The charity is also pushing for permission to be on board the vessel that transports the animals across the English Channel [the Joline] so it can see the conditions the animals are being shipped in.
“We hope to see you at the demonstration on Saturday. This is the 21st century and there is no place for shipping live animals to their death, often without stunning, in abattoirs across Europe. It is time we ended this vile trade.”
Please visit:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/farm/livetransport www.rspca.org.uk/livetransport/
and www.kaale.org.uk – which contains a wealth of information and documentation about British and EU legislation.
Compassion in World Farming is also lobbying against this cruel trade.
The Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act of 1847 states that all ports must allow the free trade of goods: if someone pays the fee to use the Port, they must be allowed to ship their goods. Live farm animals are still classified as goods.
Even if the ports don’t agree with the trade, they must comply.
Compassion is working to have this law amended – please, if you have not already done so, visit:
from which you can lobby the Farming Minister David Heath. Copying to your own MP helps too.