+TheHillgrove Campaign+ Issue 2 Nov /Dec 97
HILLGROVE NATIONAL DEMO LARGEST TURN EVER!!
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tempts by demonstrators to gain access to the farm and witness for themselves the atrocious conditions in which over a thousand domestic cats are kept. The BBC who were filming the event witnessed protesters being pushed back down the slope by the police and at least one protester was injured.
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unday th e _16th November saw the biggest Demo at Hillgrove Farm to date. l\s protesters congrega ted at the entrance to this notorious cat breeders, it became obvious to all that this campaign will wm. Groups came from as far a field as Scotland, Newcastie and Wales and from as far south as Shoreham. Individuals too arrived, for many this was their first demonstration and shows the strength of feeling against Fanner Brown's crnel and indefensible operation. :Magistrates , teachers and opticians, young, the not so young and even families joined together m common pur pose. Thames Valley Police were out in force again, with the usual selection of }dounted Police, Riot Police and uniformed bods, not to mention the Tactical Service Unit (TSU) who dress in ail black have no nu..111bers and appear to take the campaign very personally. These characters drive around in Vauxhall Vectras and have been named by protesters 'The Vectra Boys ' The police helicopter was again present a.t1dall this begs the question ' Whose protecting Oxfordshire when there is a Hillgrove Demo? The police tactic on the day seemed to be maximum hassle and the police were searching everyone as they arrived at Minster Lovell.
Not 'Mob Rule' This was not, as .the media and Fanner Brown would have the public believe 'Mob Rule' this was a group of compassionate and committed people who knew that the line of police stood between them and a centre of animal suffering that we hardly dare contemplate.
A shundreds stream to Wit1tey in tlie largest demo at Hillgrove Farm to date Organizers say
Following sustained attempts to entry to the fam1,protesters were asked to regroup at the main entrance of the farm. Onc e there they moved off to pay a home visit on one of the workers at Hillgrove.
'We will win- It's now just a matter of when' back of Brown's via a public footpath, they were told that they had to produce evidence that they had been searched or wait to be searched.
Home Visit on \Vorker. A characteristic of the Hillgrove Demos of late has been a peaceful presence at one of the workers of the form. A<; protesters assembled outside a house on a modem housing estate in Witney, they were met with what can only be described as a surreal event. Mounted police galloped through the street followed by rows of riot police in full gear charging towards them. For any resident looking out of their win dow on this Sunday afternoon , they vvould have been forgiven for thinking World War three had broken out!
Children threatened with police search. At this point a police Sergeant attempted to say that a group of 5-8year , old children must also be searched, but when pressed to confirm this in front of a video camera, he, not surprisingly backed down . In any event many people found alternative routes to the back of Hillgrove F arn1 and soon a noisy presence gathered at the rear fence .
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As protesters tried to gain access to the assive numbers of police thwarted at-
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tve The Hillgrove Cats Campaign Box CB 111, Magdalen Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 lRQ