Brian May leads thousands in march against badger cull
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of animal welfare supporters took to the streets of central London to protest against the controversial badger-cull policy, which came into effect yesterday. Many of the protesters were dressed in black and white and chanted "Shame on Defra" and "Stop the cull". Some were walking dogs dressed in badger costumes.
Under the new regulations, up to 5,094 free-running badgers can now be shot by trained marksmen: 2,932 in west Gloucestershire and 2,162 in west Somerset. A third licence is being considered for Dorset.
The protesters were led by the former Queen guitarist Brian May, who delivered a 234,000-signature petition against the cull to Downing Street.
The cull aims to reduce outbreaks of TB in dairy and beef herds, which led to the slaughter of 28,000 cattle in England last year. Culling 70 per cent of badgers in a particular area, cull supporters say, can reduce the disease by 16 per cent. Protesters argue that the cull is ineffective and unethical.
A YouGov poll showed that 34 per cent oppose the policy, while 29 per cent are in favour of it. Labour opposes it and has tabled an Opposition Day debate on the policy for Wednesday.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments