Animal campaigners keep the peace (From Oxford Mail)

Animal campaigners keep the peace

10:05am Monday 27th March 2006 in News By Phil Clee

Animal rights campaigners made their voices heard in Oxford on Saturday (March 25) despite the restrictions on noisy protests.

About 150 people gathered in St Giles for a monthly rally against the construction of the £18m Oxford University animal research laboratory, before marching to the building site, in South Parks Road, where they are banned from using megaphones, sirens and klaxons under a High Court injunction.

They pressed their case loudly in the city centre, but abided by organisers' pleas not to flout the order.

Mel Broughton, of animal rights group Speak, told fellow protesters prior to setting off on a march to the building site: "Please, don't use whistles, megaphones or drums.

"They're looking for any reason possible, but we won't give them what they want."

Afterwards Mr Broughton said the demonstration had gone off very well, with no confrontations or arrests.

He added: "We had no problems with the police after our negotiations last week, although we feel we're hamstrung by so many restrictions. But in the parameters that were set two weeks ago, it was was the best result we could have had."