ARAN protest report

My first public rally.

In December 2009, Dublin became alive with the chant of, “There’s no excuse for animal abuse!” as hundreds made the journey down O’Connell Street to speak out against animal cruelty. Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) held the third national Animal Rights rally and a friend and I got the opportunity to join in on the action.

It was a particularly important day for me as it was my first Animal Rights rally and opportunity to meet with fellow animal lovers. As a committed vegetarian for the previous six years, I have communicated my support of animal rights to friends, family and various restaurants I’ve been to. However, this was my first experience of attending a public rally. I have also used the written word, communicating thoughts on current animal abuses through letters to politicians, judges and editors of newspapers. I have been moved to joy and anger through carrying out letter writing: joy when you see your letter on the second page of the newspaper and know it will reach thousands. And then the anger when you write letter after letter to a politician and receive nothing in response; not even an acknowledgement.

It was particularly encouraging when we staked out a spot at the meeting point for protestors and watched as hundreds slowly trickled into the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square laden down with banners and posters. Old and young (from a few months old to seventy-something) activists came together in the name of ending animal abuse. The air was alive with conversation and laughter, as organiser, John Carmody, greeted animal lovers from all parts of Ireland who had descended on Dublin for this special event.

Present were a number of Irish protection groups and their supporters including Irish Council Against Blood Sports, CIWF, IAVS, Animal Care Society, Mayo SPCA, Limerick Animal Welfare, LSPCA, Galway SPCA, Clare Animal Welfare, Second Chance Animal Rescue, Northern Ireland Animal Rights Defenders, Ash Animal Rescue, Galway Vegetarian Group, Vegetarian Society of Ireland, Supreme Master Television, Rainbow Re-homing Centre, Dogs in Distress and many more. The diverse national and international concerns of Animal Rights activists were reflected in the colourful and eye-catching rally banners depicting unforgettable imagery.

Activists asked Ireland to stand up and take notice to the needless abuse of primates in Irish laboratories, told Canada their slaughter of seals is being watched by the world and reminded Minister John Gormley that fox-hunting is wrong.

We left the Garden of Remembrance and made our way down O’Connell Street, onto Dame Street and up George’s Street. Spirits were kept high by chants of, “Keep Primates Out of Irish Laboratories!” and “There’s no excuse for Animal Abuse, Animals have rights!” The event rounded up with a number of speeches in the Camden Court Hotel given by the Vegetarian Society of Ireland, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Animal Consultants and Animals Count. Limerick Greens brought attendees up to date with the Animal Welfare Bill. We finished our afternoon feeling refreshed, invigorated and filled with renewed passion to continue the battle to end animal abuse.

We were delighted to find out that lenses from the national newspapers caught the action and a camera crew from the Supreme Master Television National had recorded the event. The rally received a huge amount of positive coverage in the newspapers the following day with The Irish Independent, The Irish Times, Irish Sun, Irish Examiner and Irish Daily Mirror all covering the event.

We found this very inspiring as although the Animal Rights movement in Ireland is young, it is already growing in numbers and finding a positive reception in Irish Society.

For me it was a very important stepping stone as the experience challenged my presumptions about public responses. I had assumed some hostility, but I found observers of the rally highly interested and encouraging and the Irish media welcoming of ARAN’s action. At no stage during our passage through Dublin did we experience negative heckling or jeering.

It is easy to get disheartened by all the horror stories in the newspapers reporting on extreme animal cruelty but already there has been much political success: in October 2009 The Green Party announced their programme for government, which includes a phasing out of fur-farming in Ireland over the next three years. With a commitment to the principles of grass-roots action and using personal power to make change, we look forward to seeing an Ireland of the future free from Animal Cruelty. All letter writing, protesting, educating and informing can help Irish animals. After all, there’s no excuse for Animal Abuse.

 

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