A Camp Beagle protestor has been threatened with a community protection order by Cambridgeshire police for “persistently throwing flowers at vans as they leave MBR Acres”.
A copy of the letter has been published by Camp Beagle on their Facebook page.
It says Cambridgeshire Constabulary is “satisfied that you are responsible for unreasonable behaviour which is persistent and/or continuing in nature and is having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of others”.
Protestors have been outside the heavily policed MBR Acres facility at Wyton near Huntingdon since July 2021.
They are protesting against MBR Acres, part of American owned Marshall BioResources (MBR).
MBR Acres say up to 2,000 beagles are bred at the facility each year; they are sold at the age of around 16 weeks to be used for drugs and chemical testing.
The letter issued to one of the protestors says their “unreasonable behaviour/conduct” has been identified as:
Persistently throwing flowers at vans they leave MBR Acres. Police say, “this conduct has caused anxiety and concerns to the drivers of the vans who are not aware of what is being thrown”.
Thank you to the incredible #MiriamMargoyles actress,writer and policital activist who is now following our #Facebook post and encouraging others to follow us so appreciated. We must end #AnimalTesting for good❤💚✊ @Miriammargolyes pic.twitter.com/0CgFQdIbgG
— TheCampBeagle.com (@TheCampBeagle_) February 7, 2023
However, police say the drivers “know that items are hitting their vehicles. This results in fear that damage will be caused to the vehicle and an accident will occur due to distraction that this conduct causes”.
A condition of a Section 43 notice requires the individual concerns to stop doing specified things and given time to cease it.
The action has caused an outcry among Camp Beagle supporters.
“Disgusting… were the flowers made of lead?” said one supporter.
https://t.co/E812a69FdT
2 IMPEX Vans take Puppies to a fate worse than Death. Yesterday we had one van take puppies after 3.30am utter vile monsters. #AnimalCruelty #mbracres #AnimalAbuse #campbeagle #beagleaccount @beagle_lovers2 @FreeMBRbeagles @beaglefacts @BeaglesBurgundy— TheCampBeagle.com (@TheCampBeagle_) February 9, 2023
Another said: “So what about the stress and anxiety for the beagles caused by MBR, Impex, Cambridgeshire police and, so called ‘scientists’.”
Another said: “As if any protester would damage the van to cause an accident while its carry those beautiful dogs – it makes no sense and pathetic to send out that letter.
Clip from a recent video from @TheCampBeagle_ as they continue to protest outside MBR Acres at #Wyton #Huntingdon pic.twitter.com/IuH6xaVJQk
— John Elworthy (@johnelworthy) February 12, 2023
“The protesters want to save the dogs unlike the police who are happy to partake in their painful death.”
One other supporter said: “A few flowers are thrown at their vans? Never mind those poor innocent puppies you’re taking to be tortured. How do they live with themselves.”