|
ARKANGEL Journal of animal liberation |
Arkangel Magazine BCM 9240 London WC1N 3XX |
| Interview With Save The Shamrock Monkeys Campaign |
|
Q: When and how did the campaign hear of the closure of Shamrock Farm? A: On Friday 10th March, BBC TV phoned us to ask how we felt about Shamrock Farm closing. It was the first we had heard of it and we were stunned. Immediately the phone went crazy and we spent hours upon hours confirming the good news. It was wonderful to be the bearer of good tidings for a change. Q: What do you think will become of the surviving monkeys? A: In Shamrock's press release they talked of a "humane relocation" which gave us a little glimmer of hope. But since then they have made it clear that the monkeys will all go to laboratories. A wealthy supporter of ours offered £2000 per monkey which is £400 more than labs pay but still they said no. We should never have expected more from people who sell animals to be tortured in laboratories. Q: What would your message to New Labour be concerning the proposed anti-terrorist bill? A: My message cannot be printed in such a classy magazine - it would undoubtedly cause offence to some! I am disgusted with this latest attempt to curb not only our right to protest but also our freedom of speech. This is their latest attempt but when it does not stop people caring, they'll have to think again. Politicians and the police just do not understand what motivates the animal rights movement, nor do they understand that it will take more than their oppressive laws to stop the tide of compassion. Personally, I gave up on most politicians a long time ago. Q: How do you think getting the message into the education system can be achieved? A: I agree that taking the message into schools is vital and there are plenty of ways to do it. Viva!, the vegetarian and vegan charity, has a large school-speaker network and they give talks all over the country, mainly for Food Technology classes. Other subjects like English, Religious Studies and PSE also invite speakers in and I would urge anyone who is seriously interested in promoting a more compassionate future to get involved. It is hugely rewarding and probably the single most effective way to get the word across. As a matter of fact, I am doing a talk on animals and ethics at Sussex school tomorrow. If people would like to get involved, I suggest they contact Viva! at: 12 Queen Square Brighton BN1 3FD Tel: 01273 777688 Email: info@viva.org.uk |