Animal rights activists chain themselves by neck to town hall

Animal rights activists have been chained by the neck to a town hall for more than 18 hours as they protest against “oppression of non-human animals”.

Three protesters shackled themselves to pillars at Brighton Town Hall at 4pm on Sunday, and were still there on Monday morning.

The Brighton chapter of Direct Action Everywhere (Dxe Brighton), which previously made headlines when one of its members spread fake blood inside a McDonald’s in the city, says it is calling on local government to demand that “basic rights” for animals be enshrined into law.

One of the activists who was locked on said: “We are here today for all sentient beings, who are being oppressed by the unjust laws of a system that fails to represent them.

“We are calling on Brighton City Council to show their support for an animal bill of rights and help this law be passed.

“An animal bill of rights needs to be implemented if we are to stop violence towards non-human animals.”

Another of the locked-on activists said: “I’m willing to risk arrest and my job security to raise awareness of speciesism – the oppression of non-human animals upon which our current system is reliant.

“Will you take action? Will you join the social justice movement and fight for animal liberation? The time is now – will you stand on the right side of history?”

The group is expecting thousands of others around the world to take action between September 29 and October 5 as part of a “Global Lockdown for Animal Rights”.