Battle of Brightlingsea

Battle of Brightlingsea
Protesters blocking the road to Brightlingsea wharf in 1995.
Date16 January - 30 October 1995
Location
Brightlingsea, Essex

51°49′N 1°02′E / 51.81°N 1.03°E / 51.81; 1.03
Caused byOpposition to the live export of cattle from the UK to mainland Europe
GoalsHalting of live export through Brightlingsea port
MethodsPicketing, Sit-in, Civil resistance
StatusEnded
Parties
Brightlingsea Against Live Export · Compassion in World Farming
Live Sheep Traders (Ireland) · Livestock Industry Support Trust · Various livestock exporters
Lead figures

Carol Appleby · Francesca d'Silva · Sue Wheeler · Maria Wilby

Roger Mills · Richard Otley  · Ernest Oliver

Assistant chief constable Geoffrey Markham

Casualties
Arrested598
Battle of Brightlingsea is located in Essex
Battle of Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea shown within Essex.

The Battle of Brightlingsea refers to a series of protests by animal rights supporters held in Brightlingsea, England, between 16 January and 30 October 1995, to prevent the export of livestock through the town.[1] During this time period, early 1990s, this action had been talked and argued about among individuals.[2] The name was first used by the media in The Independent newspaper, after Essex Police used riot control measures against demonstrators.[3][4][5]

By 1995, members of the public had become increasingly concerned about the conditions in which animals were reared, transported and slaughtered.[6] Some examples of the farm animals that were being exported to continental Europe were cattle, veal calves and sheep.[2] British exporters had been forced to use small ports such as Brightlingsea to transport livestock after the country's three main ferry operators introduced bans on live cargo. This followed mounting public pressure about the suffering of sheep and cattle packed into huge transport vehicles for excessive periods.[7][8] There were 2 national campaign groups trying to help this cause; the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Compassion in World Farming. They had called for a ban on all live exports by limiting journeys to eight hours.[9] At the time, European regulations allowed for journeys of up to 24 hours without food or water.[10] They used different tactics to highlight this issue, and eventually succeeded in influencing public opinion so that ferry companies took action. As a result of the ferry company ban, however, the transportation of the cattle was moved to the small, independently operated port of Brightlingsea.[2]

The demonstrations, which were composed largely of local residents, ended on 30 October, when exporters announced they would no longer transport animals through the town because of the extra cost and logistical chaos caused by the daily protests.[1][11][12] In practice, the export of live animals continued from other small ports, halting only in February 1996 when the European Union banned all meat exports from Britain over fears of "mad cow disease" entering the European food chain.[8] The ban was lifted in 2006.[13]

  1. ^ a b Leate, Frances (22 January 2010). "15 years on, how Battle of Brightlingsea tackled live export trade". Daily Gazette. Colchester. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Hiebert, Alyssa (3 June 2013). "Brightlingsea residents end the exportation of live animals through their town (Battle of Brightlingsea), 1995 | Global Nonviolent Action Database". nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. ^ Harris, Brian (20 January 1995). "The battle of Brightlingsea". The Independent. p. 25.
  4. ^ "Riot police thwart animal welfare protest". The Guardian. 19 January 1995. p. 2.
  5. ^ Horsnell, Michael (19 January 1995). "Apology for riot gear rout of protesters". The Times. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Too little, too late for suffering livestock". The Independent. 15 September 1994.
  7. ^ Couldry, Nick (2000). The Place of Media Power: Pilgrims and Witnesses of the Media Age. New York: Routledge. p. 124. ISBN 0-415-21315-0.
  8. ^ a b "Live exports that sparked protests". BBC News. 8 March 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference guard3oct was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference johnson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Eagar, Charlotte (22 January 1995). "The middle class goes militant". The Observer. p. 3.
  12. ^ "Livestock exports suspended". The Guardian. 31 October 1995. p. 7.
  13. ^ "End to 10-year British beef ban". BBC News. 3 May 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2011.