Battle of Brightlingsea
12th October 1995
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Brightlingsea today to pay their final respects to animal rights protestor Derrick Day who died last week.
Animal rights protestors lined the route of the funeral. In Lower Park Road, many mourners left flowers and openly wept as the hearse went by. Covered with floral tributes, spelling the words Grandad and Dad, the cortage stopped for several minutes while the crowd stood in silence. The mourners then moved on to Weeley crematorium for the funeral service. Mr. Day was known as one of the Brightlingsea 14 after he was named in a high court writ taken out by live exporter Roger Mills. Protestors from Shoreham, Dover and Coventry attended. The family of Jill Phipps, who was killed under the wheels of a live export lorry in January, sent their condolences.
B.A.L.E. spokesperson Maria Wilby summed up the mood of the day when she commented "It's just a very, very sad occasion." Mrs. Day said "Derrick was fighting for animals and believed he would get it stopped. I am going to take his place and fight on."
A few hours before the funeral, a convoy of animals was escorted through the town. B.A.L.E. had hoped the convoy would be stopped as a mark of respect for Mr. Day, the police refused!
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