Protestors dressed as badgers have descended on Defra headquarters to demonstrate against the government's badger culling policy, which forms part of its bovine TB eradication plan. The 'flashmob' demonstration (a brief intervention, organised by telephone or over social media), involved around fifty protestors wearing black and white, with their faces painted, performing a badger-themed rendition of 'Flash' by Queen.  

Trial culls, intended to measure the efficacy of the government's chosen method of 'free-shooting' are set to go ahead in the South West from next month.

The Defra offices have been a busier place of late; on Thursday (25th April) a 'mountain of evidence' delivered a petition to the department and attempted to meet with Owen Paterson. The petition, calling on the Environment Secretary to back EU Commission restrictions on neonicotinoids, was organised by campaign group 38 Degrees and insect charity Buglife; it had attracted a quarter of a million signatures.

Prior to the flashmob, there had been speculation that former-Queen guitarist Brian May, a vocal opponent of badger culling, would join the demonstration. However, he was absent on Wednesday. Backed by May, the group is pushing for vaccination to replace culling in the government’s efforts to curb bovine TB in England.   

May gave his support for the demonstration in a Statement. He said, "The Government's determination to go ahead with the badger cull this summer once again proves how misguided and out of step with scientific fact and public opinion it is on this issue. Culling badgers is not the answer to eradicating bovine TB."

Last week, high street cosmetics chain Lush put its weight behind the anti-cull campaign. The ethical cosmeticians is providing the opportunity for customers to write to government policy minister Oliver Letwin MP, warning that the Conservatives risk losing support in council elections on Thursday through their relentless pursuit of badger culling.

In response, Defra said culling would provide "greater and more immediate" relief from TB than vaccination. However, expert scientific opinion on the issue is deeply divided; many of the researchers involved in the Randomised Badger Culling Trials on which Defra has based its culling policy have publicly opposed the government's chosen course of action.