UK ALF Press Officer loses in High Court

Oxford University have won a ruling in the High Court that the Press Officer for the ALF - Mr. Robin Webb, should be included in the injunction that bans a variety of protests against the University.

The injunction that Mr. Webb argued he shouldn’t be included in was one that Oxford University have been pursuing against SPEAK and various individuals and groups. Mr. Webb was listed as both an individual and also as "representing all persons acting as members participants or supporters in the name of the unincorporated association known as the Animal Liberation Front".

Mr Webb has never attended any of the Oxford protests nor taken any part in organising the campaign against the university.

At the hearing Mr. Webb’s lawyers argued that he should be struck out of the injunction as an individual because: he had never taken part in the protests nor even been to the county of Oxfordshire for at least six years. Lawyers for Oxford University argued that comments made by Mr. Webb in the news media, in response to questions from journalists, could cause "harassment, alarm and distress" to those targeted by the campaign.

Mr. Webb’s lawyers also argued that their client should be struck out as representing the Animal Liberation Front because firstly the ALF does not exist as an "unincorporated association" and therefore cannot be represented, secondly, that neither Mr. Webb nor anyone else is capable of representing such a wide-ranging and disparate group of individuals, and thirdly the actions of anonymous 'activists' are already more than adequately covered by criminal legislation.

Mr. Webb’s case was supported by detailed written statements from Mr Webb himself, as well as from Ronnie Lee, the man attributed with being the founder of the ALF. Also providing a written statement was Keith Mann who is a former ALF prisoner. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) also provided a written statement as Mr. Webb is known to be an NUJ member.

Mr Justice Irwin however was not convinced by the arguments of Mr. Webb, and in his summing up commented that Mr. Webb was a "central and pivotal figure" in the organisation who was fully adherent to its aims, strategy and tactics.

He was not a journalist, but a propagandist who "echoed the threat from the ALF to the University".

The injunction allows for limited protest in certain parts of Oxford City and a weekly demonstration opposite the site of the Oxford animal lab build in South Parks Road site between 1pm and 5pm, no megaphones or any artificial noise can be used.

Mr Justice Irwin also presided over an injunction brought by the University against SPEAK and certain named individuals after SPEAK published the fact that the workers building Oxford University's animal lab were being housed at a Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. Despite there only being peaceful demonstrations outside the College, Mr Irwin ruled that an injunction was appropriate and even went as far as to say that, because SPEAK had used the word "Exposed" when using it in the context of having found where the builders were being accommodated, this was somehow a threatening use of language.

Rizwan Majid, representing Oxford University commented after hearing Mr Justice Irwin’s judgement "For 30 years the ALF has insisted it does not exist. Robin Webb's position was that he was a self-appointed press officer for an organisation that does not exist. This clearly contradictory tactic did not work in court."

Mr Majid is a key figure in the injunctions taken out not just against SPEAK but also SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty). Mr. Majid was also part of the legal team that sought an injunction against anti war protestors campaigning against the company EDO, an arms dealer based in the Brighton area. However, the 'Smash EDO' campaign successfully fought the injunction against them.

A full injunction trial against SPEAK and others is expected in the middle part of 2007.