James Restall reports for Oxford University’s Oxford Student on a recent protest to mark anti-slavery day:

Stunned shoppers could only stop and stare this afternoon as several chained children were dragged along Cornmarket Street.

Dozens of children screaming “help me” were participating in a demonstration to raise awareness of human trafficking in the UK. Having been manacled together by three sinister-looking men, the group was forced along the street by a man dressed as the fictional Child Catcher from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The flash mob was organised by Oxford Community Against Trafficking (Oxcat) for Anti-Slavery Day and involved children from local schools St Gregory the Great and St Edward’s.

Oxcat member Andy Dipper told The Oxford Student: “The kids involved today were in a role where they were chained together, caught by the Child Catcher and screaming for help because they wanted to tell everybody else in Oxford that this is a massive issue – we must not allow this to keep going must open our eyes…

Full article here.