Joan Court begins her Hunger Strike - Day 1

Joan began her hunger strike at 1pm today, Wednesday 20 April 2005, surrounded by a posse of journalists and camera crews. Others undertaking a hunger strike over a 72-hour period might have opted for somewhere a little more low-key with access to the comfort of a bed for the night to recoup their strength, but Joan's hunger strike is taking place in the very heart of Oxford University territory. Her home for the next 72 hours will be outside the church of St Michaels in Cornmarket Street.

In her usual indomitable way, Joan is once again adding her considerable voice to those opposing the new Oxford vivisection laboratory, the true nature of which the University deliberately tried to conceal from the public. Joan is determined to ensure that the real facts about the South Parks Rd development do not remain hidden, and to send out the message loud and clear that there can be no hiding place for those whose sham science inflicts pain and suffering on sentient beings. Joan is fighting for an end to the brutality of vivisection, for a world in which a more compassionate and enlightened science is practised, and one which REALLY helps advance human knowledge rather than restrict it.

Running scared

As Joan began her round of press interviews, none other than our friend Simon Festing of the Research Defence Society was seen hastily running up the street in an attempt to gatecrash Joan's event! Unable to organise his own events, he has taken to hijacking other peoples' and what a miserable failure he is proving at that as well as everything else! Not only did he arrive late, but his counter-demonstration was only two-strong. Its worth noting that Mr Festing has had 2 months to plan and organise his counter attack.

We witnessed Mr Festing virtually dragging an MS sufferer along the roads of Oxford, no doubt hoping that in doing so he would not only undermine Joan's courage but also highlight the plight of those suffering MS. The fact that those with MS have a very real illness does not change the fact that vivisection has offered no cures to date for this disease, and continues to offer no clues to a possible cure. Attempting to hoodwink the public and those like this patient into believing that vivisection is the only answer is the methodology adopted by those like Festing, the RDS and all the corporations for whom they are the mouthpieces. It is a methodology that is designed to safeguard their profits and jobs, to safeguard the myth and thus the position of the multinationals holding sway over the economy. One might add that using people as a spectacle could be viewed as exploitative.

SPEAK believes the animal rights movement must be doing something right if this is the best the vivisection industry can come up with. Every time Simon Festing appears at an animal rights event we will take heart as it shows that we must be doing something right. We very much look forward to seeing you again Simon.

A telling point

When faced by Simon Festing's clumsy attempts at undermining her protest, Joan remained unfazed and indeed approached the MS sufferer and extended her the courtesy that Festing had patently not shown Joan - perhaps a telling difference, which distinguishes those in the animal rights movement from those upholding animal abuse...

WATCH OUT FOR MORE UPDATES ON JOAN.

It's still not too late to send your messages of support for her. Why not e-mail us and we will pass your messages onto her.