Speak has responded to the partial extension to the injunction against them won by Oxford University on Monday.
Having read the whole thing, I got the feeling that Speak organisers are starting to be a little more adult and responsible about their protest. It certainly seems that the fact they got a fair deal and a fair hearing by a High Court judge has reduced the instinctive lashing out the organisation has become known for.
Personally I think that Oxford University is asking for too much in its injunction and the issue has started to stray into wider rights beyond those of a protest group that people are sick of, but at the same time I think Speak has only brought it on itself.
Not that we are talking an entirely reasoned response. The frustration at how the issue has been presented by the media is barely below rant level for Speak. It can be infuriating when the media decides to all rush down one furrow, I’ve witnessed it many times being a journalist.
But then Speak has again brought it on itself by being aggressive and dismissive. And of course by the fact that they hold extremely strong views and refuse to listen to anyone that disagrees with them. Is it any surprise that they don’t get a positive press?
And consistently refering to the Biomedical Lab as a “torture lab” doesn’t help either. Because, let’s face it, the animals aren’t being tortured.
If Speak stopped screaming for a second and applied its undoubted energies to doing something more constructive than simply trying to intimidate people into following what it wants, it would find a far more receptive audience and, crucially, would actually achieve more.
I’m not holding my breath though.
