Pig defenders protest outside 'cruel' abattoir
ANIMAL rights activists staged a protest outside a slaughterhouse at the centre of allegations of pig cruelty.
Up to 40 campaigners gathered outside Elmkirk Ltd, in Warley, to vent their fury after covert film footage recorded at the abattoir apparently showed two workers punching and stubbing cigarettes out on pigs.
After the footage, recorded by the campaign group Animal Aid, was broadcast on Sky, the firm revealed that it had sacked two employees for breaching its animal welfare code.
However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) subsequently stated that no prosecution could be brought against Elmkirk in view of the fact that the footage had been obtained by trespassing.
Animal Aid did not organise Wednesday's demonstration, but many of those present shared its concerns about alleged cruelty at slaughterhouses across the country.
The protesters travelled from as far afield as the Midlands and Suffolk to voice their anger at Elmkirk, formerly known as Cheale Meats.
Gathering outside the abattoir from noon, the activists waved placards carrying slogans such as "No More Abuse," "Cheale Meats, Pigs in Hell" and "Prosecute Slaughterhouse Cruelty".
They also heckled people entering or leaving the slaughterhouse in their cars, shouting "Shame on you", "Blood on your hands" and "Scum".
Some passing cars honked their horns in support of the demonstration, while one motorist was seen to pull over and criticise the protest before driving off.
Protester Adam Smith, 21, told the Gazette that those who are cruel to pigs should be punished.
Adam, a student, said: "I want to see people prosecuted for the crimes they have committed against animals."
Fellow demonstrator Donna Adams, a 43-year-old care worker from Ipswich, said: "It should be the law that there is CCTV in slaughterhouses so that when abuse happens people can be prosecuted."
The six-hour protest was policed by one sergeant, two PCs and two PCSOs from Brentwood Police Station, while Elmkirk drafted in a stocky, tattooed security guard for the day.
A police spokesman said that the event passed peacefully.
4 Comments
by MarciaH
Thursday, August 18 2011, 7:04AM
“@ simongreen101, I have already reported you to another newspaper for libel and now I am forced to report you again. I have nothing to do with the Facebook page you refer to and I have done nothing illegal. Can you count? There are more than seven people in the picture which was not taken at the busiest point of the day. Please stop stalking me and trying to rubbish our attempts to protest peacefully against this cruelty. I am unsure why you feel the need to do this but given that you use different aliases to post these false comments I might be forgiven for suspecting that you have connections to this abbatoir perhaps!?”
by MarciaH
Wednesday, August 17 2011, 8:33PM
“There will be a second protest at the premises on Thursday 25th August from 1200 onwards. We would welcome support from members of the local community or anyone else who is incensed by this cruelty. For further information contact missy8c@hotmail.com or just turn up on the day.”
by Glamsticks Ltd
Wednesday, August 17 2011, 8:07PM
“I totally support the protesters. Unfortunately the kind of treatment they highlighted is not a 'one off' or unusual, it happens all the time and is endemic. The sooner people realise the bacon they eat comes from traumatised, cruelly kept pigs, the better. It is a cruel cruel industry.”
by Navestock93
Wednesday, August 17 2011, 1:02PM
“Good on them!!! The behaviour shown by the Elmkirk employees was utterly disgusting and degrading to those poor animals. I am glad the cruelty was exposed nationally and it is so unfortunate that those involved cannot be prosecuted due to the fact that the footage was obtained by trespassing. Well Done protestors - if I had known about this event I would have attended/shown my support too!!!”