Live animal export protesters make statement after For Britain members attend Ramsgate demonstration

Live animal exports Picture credit: James Shaughnessy.

Campaigners against live animal exports have made a statement to say they are not associated with any political group after a protest in Ramsgate was joined by ‘For Britain’ demonstrators this week.

Members of Kent Against Animal Live Exports gathered at the Nethercourt roundabout, by the harbour approach tunnel, on Monday morning in a bid to monitor shipments of sheep being brought to the port for export aboard the Jolene vessel.

For Britain members also attended the protest with flyers and banners against non-stun slaughter. The group is said to have claimed responsibility for the demo despite Kaale having protested against Ramsgate shipments for many years.

Live export protest

Kaale chairman Ian Birchall said: “It would appear the group is climbing on the tail of KAALE. We are a non-political, non-governmental, non-aggressive group here to do the monitoring. We are happy for people to join us as long as their concern is for the welfare of the animals. If it is not, then they are not welcome.”

Mr Birchall said KAALE does not support many of the For Britain aims but no trouble was caused at the demonstration.

Some 30,000 animals were the subject of live exports through Ramsgate last year.

Campaigners say the practice is unnecessarily cruel but Mr Birchall says he hopes there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.

He said: “I honestly believe we are nearing the end of it.”

This month the RSPCA launched a petition calling on the Government to release its long-awaited report on  live exports and to bring an end to the trade.

Government has been sitting on the report into current practices and welfare impact when transporting live animals, submitted by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee, for 15 months, without revealing its recommendations.

The RSPCA is calling on its supporters to sign a petition urging the release of the report, and for the Government to act on its recommendations.

It comes as the House of Lords this week did not accept an amendment to the Agriculture Bill which would put an end to the practice of live exports.

Photo Carl Hudson

The organisation says leaving the EU presents the best chance so far to end the trade.

Two live export shipments are due in Ramsgate this week, following one yesterday (July 27). Lorries are expected to arrive at the port at 5am tomorrow and again on Thursday at noon.

Protesters will gather at the roundabout by the entrance to the Royal Harbour Approach tunnel. Mr Birchall said people are welcome to join them.

Find the RSPCA petition at: https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/stopliveexports

24 Comments

  1. What’s is the point of this very odd group of protesters, they have been protesting for years they have caused some animals to drown when the animals fell into the harbour and they have cost taxpayers / TDC millions of pounds in legal cost when the council acted unlawfully by banning the exports. I hope they are not the same sad moaners who oppose the reopening on Manston Airport they are also a very odd group.

    • Ann,I understand what you’re saying but you are totally wrong on the matters of the sheep that drowned, & also what & why TDC had to pay out. It’s very true that ‘we don’t know what we don’t know’ & you can’t be blamed for that.
      It would be too lengthy to provide all of the facts here, but if you’re interested in findinh out those facts, I’d be happy to meet you for a ‘socially-distanced stroll’ & clarify these matters for you. As an add-on, there’s no relationship between this causes of live exports & the airport, but I think that was probably just a throw-away comment.

  2. Oh for goodness’sake, Ann! People who oppose the plans for a cargo hub airport at Manston are not “sad moaners”. Just stop being so insulting.

  3. This odd group have not saved the life of one animal. The general public are not normally aware that for some people it’s a part of their make-up to moan and protest regardless of the subject animals one week airport the next it doesn’t matter just so long as they have something to moan and protest about . It explains it fully in psychiatry. It’s a form of togetherness a sense of being part of the same end….to moan.

  4. Fancy caring enough about animals that you are willing to go and protest about their ill treatment. Imagine caring enough about the environment that you oppose the creation of a cargo airport.

    Imagine being in Ann’s world where you spend all your time and effort insulting other people. I know which groups I would rather belong to – the people who care rather than the sad and ignorant.

  5. Thanet blind, I’m off to Africa tomorrow for three weeks so I want you and the rest of you to all take care and stay well. There you are I do care, I don’t normally blow my own trumpet but I’m off to visit a mother and children Centre that I paid to be built so don’t you dare tell me I don’t care, I care very much for those who need care……..not the moaners there is no pleasing them.

    • Ann you do care and so does your as you say odd group, everyone in the group / you to /and your moaners group care, but Ann we all have different ways of getting things done, you’re an intelligent person and would know that if you don’t stand up for what you believe in you get nowhere in life. We as country have the right to peaceful protest and some of the people choose to do so by doing it in the open so it’s visible for all of us including government, which for each of us is the only way to get things changed for the better (or what you and I believe in). You say odd group!! We are all odd (different) if we weren’t then nothing would change in the world for better or worse. You care about about the wellbeing and safety of children and mothers which I personally think is lovely and what you have done is fantastic, and KAALE they are doing something that they believe in, sometimes things go wrong with protesting and animals or people getting hurt or (god forbid they die) as we all know infiltrators want to escalate some protests. Ann I guess you’re like myself use pen & paper (emails etc) to say or do our protesting which is our right, I think Ann you and I believe that there is to much in this world of man’s inhumanity to fellow man and especially (women) mothers and children,I also feel mans cruelty to animals I don’t mean farm animals all wildlife, every thing that is going wrong with this world is all down man, I’ve digressed from the main topic hopefully this government will keep to their word once we are a country on our own and ban/stop all live exports of all animals. Ann enjoy your break in Africa and hopefully you don’t have to isolate on your return, from a caring old odd moaning protester. Excuse me, if you don’t understand what I’ve said /written.

  6. Ann – your post is the epitome of moaning and it’s very odd – possibly actionable – by falsely accusing protesters of causing animal death. Read up on what happened that day and get your facts right. Is your hypocrisy, need to spread fake news and desire to moan about issues you don’t understand explained in psychiatry? The suffering of animals on long journeys is well documented and it’s unnecessary. So if you don’t like animal cruelty then it’s perfectly rational to want an end to live exports. Why do you care so much about this to slag off protesters? Are you an exporter? It’s very odd . . .

  7. I was a protester but stopped when KAALE made it an issue to leave the EU, which it wasn’t! There are many other reasons why this evil vile trade must be stopped, but leaving the EU isn’t one of them! I would much prefer to see the protest take place outside the houses of the people controlling this trade, rather than frightening already terrified animals!

    And yes Ann, I have also been protesting about the re-opening of Manston which will destroy Ramsgate, and the quality of life of thousands in the CT11 postal area. I don’t expect you live there do you Ann? There is Crowd Funding taking place and this morning it stood at over £55,000 to pay for a Judicial Review to have the decision of the Planning Inspectorate to NOT allow Manston to reopen, which the Secretary of State overturned! So a lot of moaners have put their money where their moans are!

      • It’s a town, under a proposed flight path. Not “more important” but more densely populated.

      • If you check it will show that people living, working, or being educated will be most affected in the CT11 postal area, by low flying aircraft, as they approach over Ramsgate Harbour at under 300 meters high, down Ramsgate High Street, and just 200 meters high behind the ASDA store, and over Ellington Park! Then just 150 meters over St Lawrence, and 100 meters over the Nethercourt estate. Of course this will cause unbearable noise and air pollution, mostly in the CT11 postal area, but everyone will suffer from filthy air pollution as well.

  8. Come on Isle of Thanet News, tell who said For Britain claimed the demo, otherwise this is just more fake news.

    • Some people who were at the demo plus comments on social media. It isn’t fake news is it, For Britain were there with leaflets, no misbehaviour, KAALE are not allied to them or any other political group per the statement. It is all fact.

      • “Someone” (do you have name(s)?) said so,AND it’s on social media – MUST be true,then…

  9. If you won’t to protest do it at the ferry terminal
    Not on a main route out of Ramsgate

    So normal people can get to work on time

  10. I don’t know you Ann. But would you have called the Suffragettes “moaners” or those campaigning against slavery and child labour? These abominations were legal under 200 years ago in this country and were outlawed because of constant protests.

  11. i thought the people protesting about animal rights cared for the animals, well you could have fooled me,absolutely disgusting behaviour, those animals must have been shaking with fear from all the shouting, swearing, fists and sticks banging on the sides of the trailers. you were not thinking of the animals welfare at all. hypocrits. you should all hang your heads in shame. and you can’t hide behind the ‘ for britain ‘ group as you were all doing it. ANIMAL RIGHTS PROTESTERS, DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH.

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