Western Animal Rights Network
Encyclopedia
The Western Animal Rights Network (WARN) first appeared in 2005 as a coalition for animal rights
groups in the West of England
and South Wales
and acted as a news service for animal rights demos and action reports.
It re-launched in August 2007 and continued to work towards total animal liberation
using direct action
and protests to fulfil this goal. There was also an expansion to include not just South Wales
but all of Wales
, providing the country with its first animal rights national group.
The website is also used by the Animal Liberation Front
(ALF) in the same way the international group use the magazine Bite Back
to anonymously report their criminal activities. Under a disclaimer stating that the network does not "encourage any illegal activities", the group publishes claims of various forms of illegal liberation and vandalism
, including acts against McDonalds, KFC
and the property of hunters.
(SOCPA), WARN supported six of the activists who had the most serious charges against them. Similar to the SHAC 7, six individuals who received jail sentences in the United Kingdom
of between 3–6 years for using their website to "incite attacks" on those who did business with Huntingdon Life Sciences
, the campaigners have been called the Sequani Six after a seventh accepted a plea bargain.
in 2008, Sean Kirtley was jailed for four and a half years for a sustained protest campaign and David Griffiths received a 30 week prison sentence, both for conspiracy to interfere with the contractual relationships of an animal research organisation.
town centre. Section 12 and Section 14 of the Public Order Act
were applied to limit the number of protesters then going to the laboratory to a maximum of fifteen. A spokesperson for WARN argued that the policing was heavy handed, resulting in a female protester thrown back by police for distributing leaflets.
During the march, activists attempted to blockade a road near the High Street, in soliarity with the Sequani Six. Two activists were arrested for trying to D-lock
themselves together, whilst another three locked together using arm tubes, which were then eventually cut to release the individuals. The five were arrested and released on bail later that evening until February 2008.
On the day of action 200 activists marched through Ledbury, many wearing black and green, with others beating drums, waving flags and sounding airhorns.
at the second biggest poultry
slaughterhouse
in the UK. This was in response to the recent high profile campaign on the television by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
and Jamie Oliver
who showed their concern at some of aspects of the farming industry, including Sun Valley Foods, the supplier where the bird was taken from. The activists claimed to have avoided the security
checkpoint, by hiding behind a transport lorry, in order to investigate the conditions that Compassion in World Farming
said were poor at the site in Shobdon.
The group said the conditions were so bad, that instead an individual took an opportunity to rescue a chicken, which was named Rocky, after the film Chicken Run
, he was then allegedly chased by four security guards and a van, but escaped. One male was arrested and released later that night on bail for attempted burglary
, the police spokesman confirmed this and said that they were still looking for another man in connection with the offence. Sun Valley refuted the allegations of cruelty and bad conditions saying that the responsibility they have towards animal welfare
is very serious, with employees trained to ensure the highest standards possible. The activists involved have since had all charges dropped and no further action is to be taken by West Mercia Police.
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
groups in the West of England
West of England
The West of England is a loose and locationally unspecific term sometimes given to the area surrounding the city and county of Bristol, England, and also sometimes applied more widely and in other parts of South West England.-Use in the Bristol area:...
and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and acted as a news service for animal rights demos and action reports.
It re-launched in August 2007 and continued to work towards total animal liberation
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
using direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
and protests to fulfil this goal. There was also an expansion to include not just South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
but all of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, providing the country with its first animal rights national group.
The website is also used by the Animal Liberation Front
Animal Liberation Front
The Animal Liberation Front is an international, underground leaderless resistance that engages in illegal direct action in pursuit of animal liberation...
(ALF) in the same way the international group use the magazine Bite Back
Bite Back
Bite Back is a Malaysia-registered website and magazine that promotes the cause of the animal liberation movement, and specifically the Animal Liberation Front...
to anonymously report their criminal activities. Under a disclaimer stating that the network does not "encourage any illegal activities", the group publishes claims of various forms of illegal liberation and vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
, including acts against McDonalds, KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
and the property of hunters.
Sean Kirtley
Following the arrests of the Stop Sequani Animal Testing (SSAT) campaigners in May 2006, when 13 animal rights activists were arrested under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
The Serious Organized Crime and Police Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom aimed primarily at creating the Serious Organised Crime Agency, it also significantly extended and simplified the powers of arrest of a constable and introduced restrictions on protests in the...
(SOCPA), WARN supported six of the activists who had the most serious charges against them. Similar to the SHAC 7, six individuals who received jail sentences in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
of between 3–6 years for using their website to "incite attacks" on those who did business with Huntingdon Life Sciences
Huntingdon Life Sciences
Huntingdon Life Sciences is a contract animal-testing company founded in 1952 in England, with facilities in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire; Eye, Suffolk; New Jersey in the U.S., and Japan...
, the campaigners have been called the Sequani Six after a seventh accepted a plea bargain.
in 2008, Sean Kirtley was jailed for four and a half years for a sustained protest campaign and David Griffiths received a 30 week prison sentence, both for conspiracy to interfere with the contractual relationships of an animal research organisation.
December March 2007
On 15 December, approximately 100-150 demonstrators marched against Sequani Ltd in LedburyLedbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
town centre. Section 12 and Section 14 of the Public Order Act
Public Order Act 1986
The Public Order Act 1986 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It creates a number of public order offences. They replace similar common law offences and parts of the Public Order Act 1936...
were applied to limit the number of protesters then going to the laboratory to a maximum of fifteen. A spokesperson for WARN argued that the policing was heavy handed, resulting in a female protester thrown back by police for distributing leaflets.
During the march, activists attempted to blockade a road near the High Street, in soliarity with the Sequani Six. Two activists were arrested for trying to D-lock
Padlock
Padlocks are portable locks used to protect against theft, vandalism, sabotage, unauthorized use, and harm. They are designed to protect against some degree of forced and surreptitious entry.- History :...
themselves together, whilst another three locked together using arm tubes, which were then eventually cut to release the individuals. The five were arrested and released on bail later that evening until February 2008.
Carnival Against Vivisection
It was promoted by various sources, through local media, activist based, and by the network, that a Carnival Against Vivisection was to be held in Ledbury, without an original source for the organising of the event. As the police called for organisers to step forward and reveal their identities, protesters said they were demonstrating in solidarity with Sean Kirtley, who was sentenced to prison in May for his part in the campaign against Sequani laboratories, including the organising of marches with police.On the day of action 200 activists marched through Ledbury, many wearing black and green, with others beating drums, waving flags and sounding airhorns.
Sun Valley chicken rescue
On 7 January, WARN reported that a chicken named Rocky was "rescued" from Uphampton Farm, Shobdon, HerefordshireHerefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
at the second biggest poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
in the UK. This was in response to the recent high profile campaign on the television by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, television personality, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics philosophy...
and Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
who showed their concern at some of aspects of the farming industry, including Sun Valley Foods, the supplier where the bird was taken from. The activists claimed to have avoided the security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
checkpoint, by hiding behind a transport lorry, in order to investigate the conditions that Compassion in World Farming
Compassion In World Farming
Compassion in World Farming is a campaigning and lobbying animal welfare organisation, with headquarters in the UK, branches in eight European countries and international representatives in China, Australia and South Africa...
said were poor at the site in Shobdon.
The group said the conditions were so bad, that instead an individual took an opportunity to rescue a chicken, which was named Rocky, after the film Chicken Run
Chicken Run
Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
, he was then allegedly chased by four security guards and a van, but escaped. One male was arrested and released later that night on bail for attempted burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, the police spokesman confirmed this and said that they were still looking for another man in connection with the offence. Sun Valley refuted the allegations of cruelty and bad conditions saying that the responsibility they have towards animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
is very serious, with employees trained to ensure the highest standards possible. The activists involved have since had all charges dropped and no further action is to be taken by West Mercia Police.
See also
- Southern Animal Rights CoalitionSouthern Animal Rights CoalitionThe Southern Animal Rights Coalition is an umbrella organisation for groups campaigning against animal abuse in southern England. SARC campaign on a variety of issues, one being focusing on pets. They also campaign against animal testing, furs, wild boar farms and more recently foie gras and...
(SARC) - Stop Huntingdon Animal CrueltyStop Huntingdon Animal CrueltyStop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty is an international animal rights campaign to close down Huntingdon Life Sciences , Europe's largest contract animal-testing laboratory. HLS tests medical and non-medical substances on around 75,000 animals every year, from rats to primates...
(SHAC) - SPEAKSPEAK (animals)SPEAK, the Voice for the Animals is a British animal rights campaign founded in 2003 that aims to end animal experimentation in the UK. It has to date fought against two projects. The first was a proposed non-human primate research facility at the University of Cambridge, which was abandoned in...
- Animal Liberation FrontAnimal Liberation FrontThe Animal Liberation Front is an international, underground leaderless resistance that engages in illegal direct action in pursuit of animal liberation...
(ALF) - Animal liberation movementAnimal liberation movementThe animal-liberation movement, sometimes called the animal-rights movement, animal personhood, or animal-advocacy movement, is a social movement which seeks an end to the rigid moral and legal distinction drawn between human and non-human animals, an end to the status of animals as property, and...
- Leaderless resistanceLeaderless resistanceLeaderless resistance, or phantom cell structure, is a political resistance strategy in which small, independent groups , including individuals , challenge an established adversary such as a government. Leaderless resistance can encompass anything from non-violent disruption and civil disobedience...
- Animal rightsAnimal rightsAnimal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
- Animal testingAnimal testingAnimal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
Further reading
- Mann, KeithKeith MannKeith Mann is a British animal rights campaigner and writer, alleged by police in 2005 to be at the top of the Animal Liberation Front pyramid. He is the author of From Dusk 'til Dawn: An Insider's View of the Growth of the Animal Liberation Movement...
, (2007) From Dusk 'til Dawn: An Insider's View of the Growth of the Animal Liberation Movement, Puppy Pincher Press, ISBN 978-0-9555850-0-5 - Newkirk, IngridIngrid NewkirkIngrid Newkirk is a British-born animal rights activist and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , the world's largest animal rights organization...
, (2000) Free the Animals: The Story of the Animal Liberation Front, Lantern Books, ISBN 1-930051-22-0