Demo report – HLS Occold – Monday, 1 April 2002

 

Around twenty activists turned up outside the fortified gates of the evil animal abusing company hidden deep in the East Anglian countryside!  To those who may be unfamiliar with HLS’s ‘little sister’, here is a brief introduction.

 

The tiny and quaintly named village of Occold lies just over the Suffolk border, some six miles from the historic south Norfolk market town of Diss, halfway between Ipswich and Norwich on the A140 trunk road and on the main railway line between London Liverpool Street and Norwich.

 

Just beyond the village and occupying an elevated position surrounded by arable farmland, lies the most heavily fortified twenty acre plot in the whole of the eastern counties.  The site boasts reinforced steel gates, razor wire, barbed wire, electronic sensors, security lights, flood lights, security guards with dogs, CCTV cameras, infra-red cameras and all manner of other expensive electronic wizardry, all designed with one thing in mind – to keep compassionate animal lovers from the truth about the horrors of vivisection!

 

Bank Holiday Monday, witnessed a well supported and very effective five hour demo outside the main entrance of this notorious hell hole.  As always, the local constabulary excelled themselves by turning out in huge force, no doubt earning loads of lovely overtime at the tax payers expense!

 

Within half an hour of the start of the demo, activists had the place surrounded.  All around the site, there were sounds of drums, whistles, sirens, hunting horns and the familiar chant of ‘close down HLS’.  All afternoon, protesters marched around the perimeter fence, scrambled through ditches and crossed farmland to taunt the hapless security guards furtively patrolling the sprawling premises.

 

A very professional ‘broadcaster’ was making superb use of a powerful megaphone linked up to a mobile phone.  He called upon the workers and management to ‘justify their activities’.  To this end, a telephone number was announced, which staff were invited to call to voice their opinions ‘live’ over the megaphone!  A ‘Cook Report’ style broadcast was made from various points around the site, reminding workers that their days were numbered and advising they look for alternative employment before they get the inevitable ‘Big E’ from their uncaring management.  The well documented atrocities known to have taken place within the evil confines of this and the main laboratories at Alconbury were publicised for all to hear.  Everyone on site was told the stark truth about the horrors of HLS’s torture and murder of innocent animals, the fraudulent science, the falsification of data and test results and the dire state of the company’s finances!

 

Needless to say, not one phone call was received during the whole afternoon!  Despite numerous opportunities to speak ‘live over the air’, not a single person was prepared to defend the company they worked for!  Their silence spoke volumes!  What does this say about HLS?  Are we right or are we right?

 

Without doubt, the highlight of the day was witnessing the departure of the bank holiday workers!  Around 5pm, over thirty cars were queued up behind the main gate ready for a mass evacuation!  Moments before the main gate opened, another van load of plod had arrived to ensure the safe passage of these evil animal abusers.  Despite this unwarranted protection, the departing scum were subjected to a non stop cacophony of shouting, whistling, drumming and placard waving!  Having had to put up with our noisy protest for most of their day, this must really have been their ‘dreaded moment’.

 

If you work at HLS at Occold and are reading this, beware, we will be back time and time again, on any day of the week and at all hours, until your evil establishment is consigned to history!

 

2002 – Finish HLS! 

 

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