Government officials have approved the systematic mass-shooting-and-killing of badgers in England, and, well, people are upset. On Monday, the in a plan to exterminate about 100,000 badgers, designed to curb badger-transmitted tuberculosis in cattle. Licensed farmers and landowners are encouraged to shoot as many badgers as possible over a six-week season for the next four years. Environmentalists and many scientists oppose the plan, saying that the use of a vaccine and improved biosecurity are better, more effective options. Over , and and plan to camp out and disrupt the shootings. Ministers at the Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs have been warned of the possible fallout between the two sides. 鈥淲e regard this as a scenario with clear potential for harm to public safety,鈥 said Adrian Tudway, national coordinator for domestic extremism at the Association of Chief Police Officers. 鈥淲e believe there is a likelihood [of] incidents of lawful protest and lobbying as well as some potential for unlawful direct action, disorder and criminality.鈥
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