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SPEAK Demo Reports

SPEAK Campaigns | 22.08.2008 12:12 | Animal Liberation | Health | Oxford

Tuesday 12th and Thursday 14th August

In a week that saw a conservative estimate of 115million put on the number of animals abused and killed each year worldwide in so-called scientific research, SPEAK campaign supporters met twice in Oxford to demonstrate their opposition to Oxford University's contribution to this shameful and disgusting statistic.



On Tuesday, a group of protesters came together in Cornmarket, the busiest shopping street in the city, to inform both locals and tourists of the barbaric acts of abuse that are being carried out on a daily basis just a short distance from where they were enjoying their day. Despite heavy showers, the street was crowded with people and the protesters spent the afternoon engaging with the public, distributing leaflets and discussing the subject of vivisection with them. A huge amount of support was received from those passing by, including members of the university, who stopped to read the banners and placards and to look at the pictures of animals suffering in laboratories, horrified by the pain and anguish that they portray.

On Thursday, around thirty protesters congregated in South Parks Road for the regular weekly demo opposite the Oxford University's new animal torture laboratory. Under the terms of the draconian injunction obtained by the university, who are clearly attempting to stifle the truth about the horrific physical and psychological suffering they inflict upon huge amounts of animals, this is the only time each week that campaigners are permitted to protest this close to the lab and as ever they did not waste the opportunity to let those passing by know just what will be going on behind its darkened windows and locked doors. Each week these demos receive more and more support from those passing by, many of whom are being faced with the real truth about the appalling plight of animals in research for the first time, and this certainly was no exception, with huge numbers of people registering their approval for the campaign and their determination to do something to help.

Despite Oxford University's attempts to drive SPEAK out of Oxford with their lies, deceit and manipulation of the law, we WILL NOT be prevented from exposing the truth about the horrors that are perpetrated against the defenceless, voiceless animals in their labs and we WILL hold them to account and continue to fight against these horrors until they end, once and for all.

'Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence.' - Henri Frederic Amiel

SPEAK Campaigns
- e-mail: info@speakcampaigns.org
- Homepage: http://www.speakcampaigns.org