Article in the Forge Today

There’s an article in the University of Sheffield’s student newspaper and website about our recent demo, which you can read here.

Week of Action Against University Vivisection: Massive Success

Over the past seven days, animal rights activists have hit the streets and campuses nationwide, calling for an end to animal experimentation in universities as part of the Week of Action Against University Vivisection organised by SAEAB.

With one third of the 72 universities conducting vivisection, including the three largest (UCL, Cambridge, Oxford), covered with demo’s and actions, this has been the biggest week of action the UK animal rights movement has seen in a number of years and is most certainly a success. Other companies with links to academic animal experimentation were also covered; animal breeders, investors and academic consortiums being subject to noisy demonstrations. The UK’s largest biotechnology conference was also covered – BioTrinity 2010, attended by hundreds of companies from breeders to animal couriers, cage manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and universities.

The actions nationally were most certainly determined and focused. At Sheffield, activists scaled a building gaining much attention, Bradford saw security being breached on two seperate occasions with banner drops from balconies and buildings across campus being swamped with leaflets and Cambridge invaded. Others received demos outside their labs and student unions, exposing the horrific suffering occuring inside their laboratories. Lives have also been saved, with one university offering to hand over animals to campaigners for re-homing, instead of them being gassed to death at the end of experiments. Lufthansa Airlines have also vowed to never again fly animals destined for laboratories, following involvement with Marshall Farms, Harlan and Charles River.

A week today, thousands are expected to march through Central London as part of World Day for Animals in Laboratories and the university campaigns are set to play a large part in this. With such a success, the point to be made is that no animal experimentation is deemed acceptable and with over 35%* being conducted inside university labs, they are set to become a major focus for the growing animal rights movement. New campaigns are springing up nationwide with Bradford, Sheffield, Oxford, Cambridge, Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin all being the focus of intense and sustained protest. More are expected to begin over coming months.

It is clear that these campaigns are winnable and win we shall! Another week of action is going to be announced over the coming weeks.

* Home Office, March 2010

Activists call for end to university animal experiments

Today 20 animal rights activists held a demonstration at the University of Sheffield, calling for an end to animal experiments. Protesters held banners and gave out leaflets, while others lay on the ground covered in fake blood. The university kills 30 000 animals every year, or 82 per day, more than almost all other British universities.

We want to raise awareness of the suffering going on behind closed doors, and to call the University to account for its uncaring attitude towards animal cruelty. Animals are not laboratory tools, but are sentient creatures capable of experiencing pain, fear, loneliness and sadness. They are not ours to eat, hunt or experiment on or otherwise exploit, whatever the perceived benefit.

According to the Vivisection Week of Action website, demonstrations are taking place this week at 18 locations across the country. In recent months, campaigners in West Yorkshire have picketed open days at the University of Bradford, as well as the offices of organisations linked to animal experiments there.

Flyers on the way!

We’ve just ordered some flyers from the printers. You can see the double-sided design here (pdf). Let us know if you want any to distribute in your area!

National demo in Sheffield!

Anti-Vivisection Week of Action – 12th-18th April

From Stop Animal Experiments at Bradford

In the UK, 30% of vivisection is conducted inside top-secret establishments at universities and colleges, often hidden on the top floors or in the basements of biology and psychology departments. In most cases, those attending such establishments and locals are not even aware of the painful experiments and animal torment happening on their campuses and doorsteps.

As the price of obtaining primates has soared due to activist pressure and the closing down of facilities, an increase of the breeding and use of genetically modified animals has occured. Most university establishments now have their own breeding colonies of rabbits, guinea-pigs and rodents as a direct result of the closure of over 30 commercial animal suppliers. The current price of a primate in the UK is averaged at £1,000 per animal, leading to the Medical Research Council (MRC) opening a ‘top secret’ breeding and importation centre at the University of Leicester and military research lab DSTL Porton Down, which specifically supply the needs of academic establishments, in a desperate attempt to keep primate research ongoing. Fortunately, the price costs and public opinion have lead to the failure of this plan.

This week, the Animal Liberation Investigation Unit (ALIU) released a list of every university animal lab in the country. As a direct response, we call upon animal rights groups across the country to organise and help bring to light this hidden animal torture in academic facilities so we have called a national week of action:

12th – 18th APRIL 2010 to coincide with World Month for Laboratory Animals. Go out there and take action for the animals. From demos to die-ins, filming inside these laboratories, leafleting on campuses and publicity stunts – make sure you’re part of it!

More info at:
www.vivisectionweekofaction.wordpress.com