Gallery and video: Hundreds march through St Albans against badger culling
MP for St Albans Anne Main at the march against the badger cull - Credit: Archant
Passionate protesters waved brightly-coloured banners as they marched through St Albans last weekend to make a stand against badger culling.
Hundreds of people, some sporting badger costumes and black and white face paint, gathered outside Ye Olde Fighting Cocks on Saturday afternoon where the event began.
Several speakers, including local badger expert Michael Clark and Dominic Dyer, CEO of The Badger Trust, took to the platform before the group headed through the city centre and onto the district council’s offices.
Nikki Hamilton, a member of Herts & Middlesex Badger Group who organised the march, said there was a fantastic atmosphere, adding: “It is important to do the protests and marches because it educates others.
“People say ‘I like badgers they are black and white and fluffy’ but there is a lot of suffering going on. Some of the badgers take well over five minutes to die.”
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St Albans MP Anne Main, who is opposed to the cull which began last autumn and was aimed at controlling the spread of Bovine TB, also addressed the crowd and announced she has secured a date (March 13) for the issue to be debated in Parliament.
Mrs Main said: “I was very impressed by the turnout on Saturday in St Albans and I am delighted to have been granted this debate by the Back Bench Business Committee.
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“I have been pressing for greater clarity on this issue for some time. I was very pleased to receive so much cross-party support for this debate. I am asking the Government to pause, reflect and adapt its policy for tackling Bovine TB.
“Should the motion receive the support of the House I hope the Government will look at other strategies to tackle this problem.”
She added: “Given the specific underperformance of the pilot badger culls I feel it is imperative the Government listens to the IEP findings and reflects on the concerns of thousands of people across the UK, not least hundreds of my constituents who have contacted me on this issue, and does not grant any further licences to cull.”
