5th January 1964 -1st February 1995
January 15th would have been Jill’s birthday, and February 1st will be the 27th anniversary of her murder while trying to save animals.
She died fighting for the rights of the oppressed. If you’ve not watched the film about her life do take a look-
A brief history
On that day there were only 33 protestors, yet there were 100 police officers.
Jill had no intention of deliberately putting herself in danger, she and the others had assumed that the police and the lorry driver would have a little more respect for human life than they had for animals lives.
This was not the case, the police were determined to keep the vehicles moving.
They had instructed the driver Stephen Yates only minutes before to keep going and not to stop, he only did so after Jill had been fatally injured beneath the wheels.
The cattle truck belonged a company called Phoenix Aviation and had already begun flying calves from Coventry Airport to Amsterdam in November 1994.
The owner, Christopher Barrett-Jolley, was a known gunrunner who had flown arms to vulnerable developing countries including South Yemen and Sierra Leone, and was later jailed for smuggling 270 kg of cocaine into Southend.
He was a man completely without scruples who would seize any opportunity to make money regardless of the suffering and loss of life it caused.
After Jills’ death, the veal flights continued for just 3 more months.
In the following weeks the tragedy became a huge focus of media attention.
Furthermore it acted as a catalyst throughout the country to further motivate and unite people to end this brutal trade wherever it was happening.
27 years after her tragic death, the struggle to end live animal exports continues and we are determined that she will never be forgotten.
regards, Venus
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 