Domestic extremists: anyone who sticks his/her head above the parapet
The Guardian reported that the police is gathering information on 'domestic extremists', in short, anyone who speaks out against 'inconvenient truths'. Animals Count is probably on the police's radar too, as are many groups and individuals who campaign against animal cruelty. That we explicitly operate legally and peacefully is not relevant - any animal rights campaigns are branded as potential threats. Animals Count believes this is unacceptable in a so-called democratic society which prides itself on freedom of speech and respecting people's beliefs.
Animals Count Deputy Leader, Richard Deboo, published a letter in the Guardian today:
"I note that the Guardian continues its attack on the animal protection community (How police rebranded lawful protest as 'domestic extremism', 26 October) in describing the disturbing increase in the use of police intelligence in targeting legitimate protest.
The use of such phrases as "tackling criminals involved in animal rights", "many of these activists were prepared to resort to violence" and "the police were successful in jailing many of the animal rights campaigners who were committing crimes" is deliberately inflammatory and highly disingenuous. As with all other protest "groups" the majority of those people engaged in animal protection protests are peaceful, law-abiding citizens engaged in legitimate protest. Why does the Guardian refer to such protesters as "militants", while climate camp attendees remain "protesters"?
The Guardian criticises the worrying police tactic of rebranding legitimate protest as domestic extremism and yet is guilty of exactly the same kind of deliberate manipulation of language."
Let us not be silenced, but let's hope that some activists in the animal protection movement start to understand that nobody wants to be shouted at, intimidated or harrassed. We will only be successful if we 'are the change that we want to see in the world': peaceful, respectful and professional.
29 October 2009 