Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Thanks Sue !!

After almost 20 years of producing the ‘’Shoreham Protester’ – we now reach the end of an era.

As Sue (the editor / compiler) has finally hung up her socks – she simply says at the end of this last ‘SP’ edition:

Well, that’s it.…the end of an era… this is the very last Protester, unless somebody else out there decides that they want to fill the space.  This paper was started by Mike Nunn at the Shoreham Harbour live export protests in 1995 and taken over by me 3 years later and it has since reported on all the great campaigns that the AR movement has fought and (mostly) won as well as news from around the world. I have been heartened to see how far the concept of animal rights AND the word Vegan has spread to so many countries. But we still have far to go before true respect for other living beings is enshrined in law and custom. Fight on!

As many of you will know, the disgusting live animal export trade is one of Mark’s (SAV) very main big time hates.  He has taken action to stop long distance live animal transport whenever possible for more than 25 years.  He was proud and honured to be one of hundreds of folk who attended the export protests at Shoreham (South England coast) when the trade moved there back in 1995.  Like Dover, Ramsgate, Brightlingsea, and several other UK ports which have (against their own wishes) taken the trade by legal force in the past; the spirit of ‘normal’ people turning out in all weathers and at all times of the day and night to voice their support in defense of animals was something to be seen.  We had a saying at Shoreham; when the Met police from London had to (often) turn up to give police protection to the exporters; and that was “I’ve met the Met, and got the bruises to prove it”.  Here is the badge:

But bruises and batterings aside, nothing stopped the same good folk turning out at every shipment in support the animals.  It was only after a later legal ruling at the High Courts in London (undertaken by one of the exporters) that the trade was forced to return to Dover harbour in Kent – see our stuff on the 1847 Act and all that !

We made good friends with Mike Nunn, and although she (Sue) has never been one to blow her own trumpet; we are gonna blow loud and clear for ‘Shoreham Sue’ right now.  Sue has been working every single month since those protests back in 1995 to produce the Protester, or ‘SP’ as it is affectionally known to many in the movement.  Founded originally as a live export info information document, the SP has over the years grown into an international animal rights magazine covering all aspects of animal rights protests, actions and (often) wins from around the world.

Over the years, Mark has worked with Sue many times in order to provide information about UK live exports ever since the trade moved away from Shoreham in the 90’s and back to the Kent ports.  More recently, Sue has been very supportive of our (SAV) actions in Serbia for the stray animals; and this last issue has seen an article published about our recent gripes with the EU Commission on this very subject – it reads:

“Serbian animal inaction

Animal abuse, including dog fighting in Serbia have been posted on Youtube with the perpetrators clearly visible,  along with the name of the person who posted them onto Youtube in the first place, yet the Serbian authorities do nothing. Mark Johnson of Serbian Animal Voice has written and been in conversation with the European Authorities.  He pointed out to the Commission that despite rulings from the Serbian Constitutional Court in 2005 saying that stray animals must not be killed; but instead controlled by other means, the Serbian government has ignored the rulings of its own national Constitutional Court and continued to round up and kill stray animals for at least the last 10 years. In the opinion of SAV and many others, it was made clear by Mark today (22/4) to the EU Commission that the Serbian government has  been ignoring the requirements of the Serbian Constitutional Court for the past 10 years, is not enforcing the rule of law within Serbia. Mark was ‘verbally assured’ by the EU member of Cabinet, that the EU is working hard to ensure that the ‘rules of law’ are enforced throughout Serbia before it is given EU membership. Mark pointed out that in his opinion and that of many others involved with animal welfare in Serbia, that these new proposals for ‘quicker killings’  of stray animals which are currently being presented by the Serbian government are simply a way of “cleaning up the streets in order to Fast Track Serbia’s EU membership”.  This was denied by the EU Commission when suggested to them. Fed up with no action from the EU, Mark closed the conversation by informing them he had little faith in their current actions, asking them to ensure that the Serbian government did NOT continue with their new kill proposals for May 2015, and reminded the EU that we (and many other EU animal welfare groups) will be watching and reporting on every event which takes place for Serbian animals over the coming months”.

So; one Big, big thank you to Sue for battling it out all these years after the export trade died its very welcome death at Shoreham to keep us all informed with what was happening in the rest of the AR world.  Her dedication to the cause and the AR movement cannot be underestimated.  Seeing this last edition of the SP now going out is sad for many of us – and I speak for the many; but as with many of us and our independent campaigns, you simply get to a point where you say to yourself that you have done your bit over the years; it is time to step back into the rear seat and let a new driver take control.

So thanks Sue, for all your personal hard work and dedication in support of the animals over many years – I know that each and every one of them would thank you if they could for informing the world of their situation(s).  On a personal basis, it has been great working with you in a combined effort to inform the many of the wrongdoings of the UK export business and more recently, the campaign in Serbia.  You can be very proud of what you have done and what you have achieved oer so many years ! – you are a hero in many eyes !

Our post (link below and well worth a watch !) of April 2014 gives video links to a few of the scrapes that we have been involved with re live animal shipments from Southern England ports over many years.  Good memories ? – yes and no – yes, good for the relationships and dedications formed by many of the people – no for the suffering of animals witnessed at every single shipment.

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2014/04/23/england-memories-of-the-live-animal-export-trade-then-and-now/

There are a heap of good people that both Sue and I can now call respected friends who we have got to know over the long export campaign years – good people who only had one aim; to stop the suffering of live animals during long distance transport.  People who would in reality often rather be tucked up in a warm bed at 2am; but who instead get their butts down to the docks to speak out about the trade – and take direct action.

As very good friend Carla (Lane) wrote in her book of poems (Poems and other aggravations) –  the times at the docks were, and still are, times of frustration for the ordinary man.

Above – Carla

The great news now is that for several months, live animal exports from the ports of England (and the UK overall) have completely stopped.  The days of the mass loaded animal trucks from Shoreham, Dover and other English ports have hopefully been posted well and truly where they should be placed – in the history books, never to surface in reality again !

I finish by giving you the link to an excellent old campaigner against the trade in live animals.  His name was Mike Tucker; and the pleasure was always ours when Mike came to stay at my house over very many years.  Mike was a great friend and campaigner; a Shoreham protester regular.

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2012/03/20/uk-england-michael-tucker-live-export-campaign-photographs/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2012/03/17/uk-england-michael-tucker-a-dedicated-live-animal-export-protester-stalwart/

Boy are there some stories I could tell you about all Mikes almost daily campaigning against exports in Ol’ London town ! – see the pictures of the city gent opposed to the trade in the above links – dressed in his bowler with a broom and bucket of water; sweeping down the steps of MAFF (the ‘animal export’ Ministry) in Whitehall; telling them to ‘clean up their act’ where live exports were involved !.

Sadly he is not with us any more (Mike died a few years ago) to experience the super news that UK animal exports have finally died; but I know that he is still watching us from somewhere – and celebrating what all the hard work and dedication of so many has eventually finished at – live exports from England and the UK virtually dead.

Sue would have known Mike; a band of brothers and sisters with one simple target – to stop animals being abused.  The export trade stopped at Shoreham; but the information of AR activity continued from Shoreham thanks to the great work of Sue.

So now quite rightly, Sue has decided to call it a day and move to the back seat; leaving others to do the driving.  Once an animal person; always one – so I know Sue will always continue to speak up for, and be in defence of animals throughout the rest of her days.  We all try to do our bit in many different ways.  You can take the campaigner off the street, but you cannot take away the way they feel when it comes to defending animals.

Thanks Sue for ALL your devoted time and attention speaking for those who have no voice to represent them.

M x

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