Animal Rights Protest at Wickford butchers

Animal Rights Protesters have held their second demonstration in two weeks in Wickford High Street against the town’s meat traders.

The group of about a dozen people gathered outside the butcher’s shop of J Clark & Sons on Tuesday morning. Some dressed up as farmyard animals.

It’s understood the protesters filmed members of the public entering and leaving the butchers in the High Street from about 11am.

Shop staff confirmed that the protesters were aggressive but neither spoke to them nor knew quite why the protest was held.

Just a few weeks ago, the animal rights group also targeted the Wickford’s Iceland supermarket, directly opposite the butchers to express their disgust  over the sale of ‘exotic’ animal meat, including kangaroo, buffalo and ostrich.

Michael Mowe, borough councillor for Wickford North, witnessed the incident and said: “They were all dressed in animal outfits, like the onesies you can get in Primark.

“The police were there and it was quite busy, as it was causing a bit of an obstruction and forcing people into the road.”

Animal rights protests have often occurred in other towns  and are mostly against the sale of kangaroo meat. Protesters allege that many ‘roos suffer painful deaths and they claim hunters tear babies from their dying mothers.

However, the staff at J Clark and Sons insist they do not sell any such meat and don’t understand why they were a target.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Police were in attendance in the High Street after reports 12 people were protesting in the town. They were filming members of the public and told not to block public access to shops.”

The protest lasted about 45 minutes and no further trouble has occurred since.