Thursday 6th September
As promised to Cricket St Thomas, activists arrived Thursday evening to begin demonstrating against the unnecessary suffering caused to circus animals and their miserable lives repetitively travelling, training, and performing – regularly in isolation, unable to act as their species would naturally do.
Half a dozen activists arrived in Chard just after 7pm to highlight the cruelty involved to customers driving in for the 8pm showing. Many drivers and passengers were shocked to understand that they had in fact bought tickets or had planned to attend not a theatre performance, but actually a cruel animal circus.
Using a banner ‘You Watch….They Suffer – Animal Circuses’ and boards such as ’RSPCA opposes animal circuses’ & ’The spirit of this horse has been broken’. Plenty of leaflets were given out to those who felt uncomfortable with the idea of supporting this form of entertainment, causing a variety of cars to swiftly turn around.
We were then greeted by a community support officer, who showed clear concern not for the safety of customers, but instead our safety, due to the history of violence Spirit of the Horse staff have towards demonstrators. They enjoy hitting young girls with fists and cars - do you really need to question their traditional training methods for horses?
Just before leaving, we were granted a debate with an executive from Cricket St Thomas / Bourne Leisure, who’s first complaint was over the quantity of emails sent to their business and associate subsidies. This followed by attempting to justify that “welfare was the heart of the issue”, before activists informed him that the RSPCA inspectors he ‘allowed’ to come down (as he put it), were part of an organisation opposed to animals in circuses.
Possibly the best statement of the night was ”We could stand here all night and argue the merits”, before an activist responded with the brutal truth; “There are none”, given money being an exception to a cruel, violent industry of abuse. Surprisingly, he then politely took a leaflet, after admitting he perhaps did not fully know what sort of business they were dealing with.
Given the reputation of Zoo’s providing for Circuses, it is questionable whether this was genuinely meant.
Demonstrators then admired the next action taken by the businessmen. As he attempted to swiftly speed off, he instead smashed into a lamp on the floor (which lit up the CST sign) , completely destroying it, before landing the boot off his car onto the pavement with quite a pleasant loud sound of metal denting!
Without doubt, we were all quite pleased. Only minutes before had we promised the officers in charge that before we would leave, we wouldn’t sabotage any of CST’s property.
Friday 7th September
Activists then returned the following day in double figures just before 4pm, causing the entrance of the ‘Wildlife’ Park to be swarmed with protesters.
Nearing the busiest time, at which point only a few dozen cars went in, activists formed picket lines for cars to drive through, causing traffic to slow down. Only increasingly the effect on those unaware of the cruelty being hosted at Bourne Leisure’s Cricket St Thomas.
Placards were also set up on the road which slogans such as ‘Horses don’t belong in the circus’, causing immense curiosity over the demonstration. As cars drove through, the majority were shocked to understand that they were in fact paying for horses acting out circus tricks.
The usual minority acted as ignorant and immature as possible – even telling their 5-year-old children to raise middle fingers! Where this support for cruelty comes from is obvious to any individual who understands the suffering of animals.
By this time, support from drivers had grown and every other minute was filled with a hoot in support, only to increase the pressure to boycott the cruelty on those still planning to enter. Due to the hotel, gym and work within CST, we also received much support from those coming for those reasons, with thumbs up and even the odd car horn.
As reporters took pictures and details of the demonstration, in front of the Wildlife Park sign (what could be better!), it was clear that this act of support for animal circuses has done no favours for both companies. All they have now is bad publicity, a broken light and a dented car to deal with due to 6 hours of peaceful protests.
We promised that those responsible for hosting this cruelty would have their names dragged through the mud and we have done exactly so.
Ivel FM aired the details of the demonstration the following day at 6pm and there will be newspaper reports to follow.
Until we receive a policy from either company, it is possible that this cruelty could well return.
Just remember this Cricket St Thomas – we will be back, and we will expose you again.
From the South Somerset Activist Collective.
Get in contact with TARA to get involved in more.
