Today is a poignant day for the hunt saboteur movement.
It marks the 35th anniversary of Mike Hill’s death and the day of Keith Mann’s funeral.
We remember our fallen comrades as two very different activists: one who was just starting off on his journey into animal liberation, and another who had seen and done it all.
Mike was an unassuming character, his sensitivity and respect for animals clear for all to see. Keith was an amazing and charismatic person whose infectious personality and drive for animal liberation would inspire many others to follow.
Mike was already involved in ALF activities as well as hunt sabbing and sanctuary work before he moved to the Northwest. He had moved to Freshfields Animal Rescue in Merseyside from Heaven’s Gate Sanctuary in Somerset, where he was from.
He joined Merseyside Hunt Saboteurs who frequently went into Cheshire to sabotage hunts based there. On this fatal day in 1991, Merseyside Hunt Saboteurs attended a Cheshire Beagles meet in Little Budworth. This pack were a vicious hare hunt who wouldn’t let anyone or anything get in the way of them brutalising wildlife. Not even Mike, who was crushed to death under the wheels of the hound trailer.
Mike would have met Keith in his early hunt sabbing days in Cheshire as Keith was part of Manchester Hunt Saboteurs, who were also active in Cheshire. Keith was also a committed activist, and some say the finest in the Animal Liberation Front.
After Mike’s death, Keith organised a demo at the Cheshire Beagles kennels. The demo, of course, turned into a riot ignited by injustice and anger. The beagles had been relocated, so the kennels were smashed up whilst Mike’s killer, Alan Summersgill, hid beneath the stairs and has hidden in the shadows ever since, never facing justice. Many served prison sentences for the actions at the kennels, but Keith was acquitted.
Following Mike’s death, there was an upsurge of animal activism in the Northwest. This culminated in what was to become known as the Manchester Conspiracy Trial where many activists were accused of causing millions of pounds worth of damage to industries that exploited, used or harmed animals.
Whilst on remand for other actions, Keith was able to make a daring escape from the exercise yard and was on the run for 10 months. This was at the time of the Strangeways riots – around appalling conditions on prison – and inmates were being held in police stations.
Undeterred, Keith carried out more actions in the name of animal liberation which eventually led to a sentence of 14 years, later reduced to 11 years on appeal.
Upon release, Keith co-founded the campaign against Shamrock Monkey Farm. This was an intense pressure campaign that led to the victorious closure of Britain’s only primate holding facility where primates were imported and held, before being sold to laboratories for animal testing.
After the success of closing Shamrock, Keith was then involved in a daring raid at Wickham Laboratories and removed 695 mice from certain death. The mice were to be used in Botox testing.
Mike was only 18 when he died. A young activist, yet he shared the same traits as Keith. Both totally committed to the fight for animal liberation born out of compassion.
Today we remember Keith and Mike.
Both fine activists: one who had done it all, and one who would have done it all should his life not have been cut short.
We made a pledge as our own justice for Mike to end hunting: we have nearly fulfilled that promise. In their names, we keep on fighting for animals to achieve the goals they sought.
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