Vegan protester’s bid to be branded outside cathedral denied by Church
CHURCH leaders have refused permission for an animal rights protester to be branded with a hot iron on their land.
St Philip’s Cathedral officials said they would not allow the protest against the meat industry to take place in Birmingham.
Nadine Hill, 26, from Kingstanding, alongside friend and fellow vegan activist David Lewis, 48, were set to stage the stunt in the square outside St Philip’s Cathedral in the city centre on December 11 – not realising that the grounds were run and owned by the Church.
As such, it is up to the cathedral as to whether the stunt could take place there.
A spokesman for the cathedral said: “I can confirm that we have not been approached for the branding to take place in Cathedral Square and if we were it would be refused.
“We have a worship service on that evening so the police presence will be high.”
In response, call-centre worker Ms Hill, a vegan for the past seven months, said: “I’ve got other ideas of where it could take place. I’m prepared.”
“Animals suffer every day, have feelings and feel pain.
“I want to say I’ll take it well (the branding) but I probably won’t – it’s going to be about 500 degrees.
“My family have been supportive. They understand this is something I need to do.”
A friend of the pair is set to use the hot iron to brand the pair after a video showing ‘horrors’ taking place across the UK is played on a screen.
Mr Lewis, who is planning to be they branded alongside Ms Hill, said: “I want the branding to plant a seed in people’s head. They’ll watch and think it extreme but what’s worse is having a dead animal on your plate.
“Hopefully it will make them stop and think.
“If I can turn one meat eater into a vegan, then I’ve saved 200 lives this year, and it’ll be worth it.”
The protesters were part of the VIVA animal welfare group that claimed they found the carcasses of dead pigs from a Warwickshirebased farm dumped in a nearby forest.
They plan to be branded with a ‘689’, the number on one of the pigs allegedly found by the group.
Hogwood Farm owner Brian Hobill said of photographs taken and allegations made by VIVA: “The care of our animals is our top priority.
“These pictures... do not represent the general health of the animals on the farm.
“There does appear to be shortcomings on dead stock removal. However, we will review our policies and ensure these are followed.”
I’ve got other ideas of where it could take place. I’m prepared Nadine Hill