Protesters march through village
Main roads were closed as more than 80 animal rights protesters marched through a village.
Banners were waved and drums were banged during the annual march against animal testing at Wickham Laboratories, based in Winchester Road, Wickham.
People of all ages, including pensioners donning lab coats and mums with prams, took part in the two-hour march.
For the first time in the demonstration's 20-year history, the A32 and A334 were closed.
Around 80 police officers were on hand to allow the road closures to take place, as well as police the march, which was loud but went by peacefully without an arrest.
In previous years, protesters have walked through the village on the narrow pavements.
However, this year, following a meeting between Stop Wickham Animal Testing Group and police, it was decided to temporarily shut the roads for periods of up to 20 minutes.
The closures had a mixed reaction amongst villagers.
Michael Dennis, proprietor of Heming & Co in The Square, said: 'I am in support of people having the protest.
'I think the road closures are way over the top.'
But Stuart Richardson, manager of RG Warwick & Partners, said: 'It's not been a problem at all. It's for everybody's safety.'
Protester Jeannette McClunan, 53, from the Meon Valley, said: 'It's only one day a year. The horse fair does it and roads close for church fetes - what difference is this?
'We have a democratic right to protest.'
Protester John Curtin, in a speech in the village square, hit out at the police presence. He said: 'We have no weapons and we are not here to riot. We could have been policed by two police officers.'
Queues did built up on the A32, but traffic was quickly moving again as the march moved through the village.
Superintendent Rick Burrows said: 'We want to facilitate the protest and we have to do that without disproportionately affecting road users.
'We have shut them for a relatively short period of time. We kept other roads open and hopefully it did not inconvenience the public too much.
'It's primarily about the safety of the protesters and my officers.'
Regarding the large police presence, he added: 'We have to cater for all events. There has been a history of disorder and criminal damage.
'We have to police the route competently.'
Wickham Laboratories, which tests the toxicity of medicines and food additives, failed to return a call from The News.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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