Monday 30th October, 1995
Article received anonymously from the internet
Since January 1995 live animals were exported through the small port of Brightlingsea in Essex. From the first day people held protests against this trade, and continued to do so every single day until Friday 27th October 1995 when it was announced that there won't be anymore shipments of live animals from Brightlingsea.
Many protesters suffered at the heavy handed policing tactics of Essex police, who received literally hundreds of complaints. Hundreds of protesters were arrested, charged and fined while the police resources were drained to the limits. And still the protesters continued their protest unperturbed. At times it appeared that the whole of Britain was united in this question, apart from the animal abusers themselves and the police (and even many individuals in the police force showed clear sympathy to our cause).
The Wharf Owner Ernest Oliver was convicted in court of threatening behaviour. The exporters, at first Richard Otley who could not take the protests and pulled out of the trade, and later Roger Mills faced a number of charges against them, from dangereous driving (against protesters) to cruelty to animals. Even Lesley Dorothy Mills, Roger Mill's wife, has been taken to the High Court in The Strand on 25th October by Murrays of Rutland in connection with the Framlingh-based company Live Sheep Traders Ltd.
Today, Monday, it was confirmed that Roger Mills stopped any further live animal exports through Brightlingsea. One reason he offered was that the police had given him a minimum number of lorries to go through the port at one time otherwise they wouldn't police it. This overstretched his resources and he went bankrupt.
Tonight from 7pm onwards there will be a victory drink at the Victory pub in Brightlingsea. On Saturday 4th November 8pm onwards will be the victory celebrations at the Community Centre. Everyone who helped with the protests is most welcome.