Anti-Vivisection Activists Storm City West Hotel

national | animal rights | news report Wednesday March 05, 2003 12:31 by SHAC-Ireland - Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty briancassdropdead at hotmail dot com PO Box 4534, D.1 087-7371810

Anti-vivisectionists take action against Jim Mansfield and City West Hotel in attempt to cancel upcoming Institute of Animal Technician conference. Next protest by SHAC-Ireland: This Sunday 9th March, front enterance of City West Hotel (Saggart, co. dublin) 12pm - 4pm. Contact for further details.

On Saturday, 1st March, a minibus of activists from around the UK descended on the Citywest Hotel in Dublin to protest against it hosting the Institute of Animal Technician’s annual conference.

Irish activists have been steadily campaigning against the hotel since the news that the IAT would be attending, so it was decided that we would give them some support and show the hotel that the eyes of the worldwide animal rights movement are now on it. It was straight off the ferry and down the very posh golf/health centre/hotel complex in Saggart, to the southwest of Dublin.

Two of the activists wnt to speak to the management, but were unable to meet them. Never mind - everyone else got to enter the hotel, storming through with megaphones and leaflets, informing everyone why Citywest should be boycotted. Despite staff attempting to block the activists, access to a teaching conference, restaurants, bars and accommodation was achieved. Staff were seen running across golf courses in high heels, attempting to catch up with protestors intent on discussing the matter further with the golfers.

The response was highly encouraging, with a round of applause at one stage from guests as an activist easily dodged around security to get into a plush bar. By this stage the staff of the hotel were despairing. There is no question about the effectiveness (and fun) of a 40 minute occupation!
Having had our fun and ensured our message was clearly received, we left to enjoy the other sights of Ireland. While there we heard rumours of stink bombs regularly being let off in the hotel, phone blockades and other actions. So we know the hotel is already feeling the pressure.

Early Sunday morning we were back again. As we pulled up at the gates, we saw none other than multi-millionaire property development James Mansfield who owns Citywest. So it was straight out of the van to put our point of view directly to him. We couldn’t have timed it better. For the rest of the day a demonstration was held at the gates with hundreds of leaflets given out and the message spread widely, including to national press.
In the afternoon, a meeting was arranged between Jim Mansfield and local community representatives and several of the activists. The activists were able to put their case directly to the man at the top, explain about the evil that is the Institute of Animal Technicians and its association with Huntingdon Life Sciences. They felt that it was a positive meeting and that the owner of Citywest was left in no doubt just how strongly the animal rights movement feels on this issue.

They were also informed of how the IAT has been forced to leave the UK altogether in order to hosts its conferences, including how Swansea University said no on the grounds that it couldn’t provide them with security, forcing the IAT to run as far away as Cyprus; and how all the windows of Exeter university accommodation block badly fractured when the IAT conference was hosted there.

The IAT has misled Citywest on just what hosting their conference involves, but it is time to keep the pressure on. Protests of all kinds will continue until Citywest pull the rug out from under the IAT. If you are not already playing your part then it is time you were. The IAT represents the people like Waters and Marsh who were videoed punching a beagle in the face at HLS. They are not tolerated in the UK, and they will not be tolerated in Ireland either. If necessary we will keep going back to Ireland until we get our way – and you know we don’t bluff: we always win when it comes to animal abusers.