Camp Beagle is a

protest camp Protest camps are physical camps that are set up by activists, to either provide a base for protest, or to delay, obstruct or prevent the focus of their protest by physically blocking it with the camp. Protest camps may also have a symbolic or repr ...

set up in July 2021 by

animal rights activists The animal rights (AR) movement, sometimes called the animal liberation, animal personhood, or animal advocacy movement, is a social movement that seeks an end to the rigid moral and legal distinction drawn between human and non-human animals, ...

outside of MBR Acres, a breeding facility for

beagle The beagle is a breed of small scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking instincts, th ...

s used in laboratory research, in Wyton, Cambridgeshire. The protestors want the site to be closed down, the beagles freed and for

vivisection Vivisection () is surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure. The word is, more broadly, used as a pejorative catch-all term for Animal testi ...

in the United Kingdom to be ended.

Background

MBR Acres is owned by the American company Marshall BioResources (MBR). 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. Since 2020, protests have been held around the facility, led by groups such as Camp Beagle UK and Free the MBR Beagles.

History

The camp was first set up in July 2021; footage of dogs from the facility published by the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...

'' led to increased support of the campaign. The protestors argue that the facility is factory farming beagles; MBR has issued a statement asserting that the protestors are misinformed and that breeding of animals is essential for medical research. The statement also contends that the facility is both regulated and frequently inspected by the Home Office which enforces strict laws around animal welfare in research facilities. Actors Ricky Gervais and

Peter Egan Peter Joseph Egan (born 28 September 1946) is a British actor and animal rights activist. He is known for his television roles, including Hogarth in ''Big Breadwinner Hog'', the future George IV of the United Kingdom in ''Prince Regent'' (1979 ...

have voiced their support for the facility to be closed down. In August 2021 ''The Times'' Newspaper published a letter signed by in support of MBR Acres and its contribution to medical research nineteen scientific societies and organizations. On 28 August, Camp Beagle coordinated a protest with

Animal Rebellion Animal Rebellion is an animal and climate justice movement with the stated aim of compelling government action towards a plant-based food system. Their justification for the introduction of such a system is the impact of animal agriculture on c ...

at Smithfield Market in London. 15 activists were arrested on 31 August for "suspected obstruction of the highway or of criminal damage." Following a High Court injunction hearing instigated by MBR Acres, it was ruled, on 5 October, that the camp was allowed to remain, with the provision that activists must remain at least 10 metres from the gates. A Freedom of Information Request revealed that Cambridge Constabulary spent from 27 June to 14 September on policing the camp. In November 2021, the singer

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Idol ...

handcuffed himself to the gates of the facility. In December 2022, activists from Animal Rebellion freed 18 beagles from the facility.

References

{{Animal testing navbox 2021 protests 2022 protests Animal rights protests Animal testing in the United Kingdom Animal welfare and rights in the United Kingdom Anti-vivisection movement Dog breeding Dogs in the United Kingdom Protest camps Protests in England

Background

History

See also

References