Protesters take over Cloverdale Rodeo arena

Sunday, May
20, 2007, at the Cloverdale Rodeo in British Columbia, 10 animal rights
activists from the organization Liberation BC took over the arena ring with three anti-rodeo banners.  Activists ran into the ring immediately
before the calf-roping event to protest the cruelty of the rodeo. 

Prior to
going into the ring, activists witnessed calves having their eyes gauged, heads
punched, legs kicked, and tails twisted and rubbed against metal railings.  All the horses were in very bad shape with
cuts from spurs and welts and impressions where the bucking straps were
tied.  Bucking straps are used in rodeos
to create excruciating pain to the animals, which makes them buck.  The steers used in this rodeo were all quite
young as apparent from their size and the fact that they were not making adult
mooing sounds when they called out in distress.

After
running into the ring, the activists held up their banners and chanted “stop
the rodeo, stop the cruelty.”  Security
guards and cowboys assaulted the activists in front of a cheering crowd while RCMP
officers stood watching and verbally assaulted the activists.  One activist had his face shoved into a pile
of manure by a cowboy while held down by a security guard. Another cowboy
kicked mud into the face of an activist who was also pinned to the ground by a
security guard.  Two activists had their
faces forced into muddy water and were unable to find their breath while 4-5
security guards and cowboys pinned them down.  
After one activist was dragged out of the ring, the security guard
continued to twist his arm to the point that the activist thought it was going
to break.  The activist turned to RCMP
officer, Cst. Rob W. Dixon, who was standing next to him and said “officer, he
is going to break my arm.”  Cst. Dixon
replied to the activist, “you deserve it” and did nothing to stop the abuse.
When the security guard finally let the activist go, his arm flung out with
such force that it hit the back of Dixon. 
Dixon then turned around and said to the activist, “I’m gonna take you
in the parking lot and beat your face in.”  

All of this
activity took about 5 minutes but the activists were all quite beat up and felt
the fear, the helplessness and the agony of the animals inside the ring.  However, the experience only strengthened
their conviction as they know that the animals ultimately have it a lot worse,
many even losing their lives to this kind of brutality inside the rodeo arena.