We are an Arts collective who are camapigning against the prosed plans for 2 virus containment / animal testing labs in Camden.

The lab plans have been criticised at government level, by MI5, MI6, by MPs , Camden councillors, local resdients and businesses.

Fears were leaked by the Security Services around the lab.

Unfortunately the land for the lab has "been sold without planning restrictions" by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to the Medical Research council who want to build the labs and who ,it is alleged, care little for what people think and that the lab plans are against the council's own planning brief which calls for 50% social housing. The lab consortium have admitted that they won't be building any homes or community facilities.

The lab has been dubbed the "28 Days Later" lab by the press and local people amid security fears.....the NIMR lab will be at least level 3 which would contain deadly viruses including anthrax and Bird Flu which is transmittable to humans in a transmutable form. The scientists at the current NIMR site in mill hill breached their usual "not allowed to talk to the press confidentiality" in order to alert the Camden New Journal about security fears. The scientists themselves don't want the lab to move to Kings Cross where a security breach would be disastrous and deadly. Andrew Dismore, MP for Hendon has blasted the lab plans on Health and Safety grounds, saying that a virus leak in Mill hill would be bad enough but the same thing in Kings Cross would be particularly nasty.

The Somers Town Peoples Forum are campaigning for homes to built on the sites. A whopping 15,000 people are on a housing waiting list in Camden.

Animal rights campaigners are of course against the lab plans.

Other campaigners include people who are worried that the lab plans will lead to the closure of the Margarete Centre which provides drugs, alcohol and mental health services to Camden's 4,200 class A drug addicts.

Although "plans were announced" that a new needle exhchange and advice centre"may" open in south Camden we are very worried by a statement from Frank Dobson at a packed community meeting held last year by residents opposed to the lab who said : "I might not be able to stop this {the labs} as the consortium have a lot of money, but at least I stopped the needle exchange.....

We are also concerned that supporters of the MRC lab plans have attempted to brand campaigners as "nutters" who are "panicking" , "lying" , "fantasists".....etc. Anyone who thinks it is OK to brand people attending mental health / drugs services who are worried about the lab plans as "nutters" who should be "disregarded" should be ashamed of themselves in our opinion.....

Supporters of the campaigns AGAINST the labs include :

Andrew Dismore MP
Benjamin Zephaniah {poet and acitivist who was offered the OBE and who famously turned it down....}
Keith Mann - respected animal rights defender.
Local people and residents

We plan to create arts displays and exhibitions to show how the lab will affect London, Camden and the animals for when the lab consortium apply for planning permission.

and many many more.....

We hope to see you on the 28th!

The Inspiral Lounge is a vegan cafe and music venue. This will be an informal meeting and anyone attending will be expected to buy food & drinks. ; )

See you soon