UK Indymedia | DIRECT ACTION DAY AGAINST CAMBRIDGE PRIMATE LAB

DIRECT ACTION DAY AGAINST CAMBRIDGE PRIMATE LAB

1000 join Demo against Mr prescotts Primate research lab planned for Cambridge

A colourful vibrant scene greeted tourists, shoppers and class ridden university officials in Cambridge today. Around 1000 protesters called for the end of plans to build Europes largest Primate research Laboratory in Cambridge.
Mr Prescott has had a tough week after Animal Aid launched a high court injunction against the proposed development.
The demonstration has attracted a wide spectrum of people against the proposed lab. Young and old joined the protest with anger directed at Mr Prescott, Tony Blair and the 'academic snobness' of university officials.
The local police and council have objected to the lab and a recent planning aplication that was turned down by Cambridge County Council has been overturned by Mr Prescott.
Cambridge University and Mr prescott are now feeling the pressure as the anti vivisection movement are gathering pace and increased national media attention.
More direct action is planned for the future say campaigners.

anon

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Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

Support is growing

11.01.2004 00:24

I wasnt on the demo and dont have a history of animal-liberation struggles. However i am sick of this Labour Governments constant lies. I didnt feel compelled untill i realised that the lab would be the largest in europe and solely for primates. Anybody who doesnt feel compasion should be ashamed. This government is sickening and is getting away with murder (literaly. Please provide support for this movement, Mr Prescott you are a wanker!
Thankyou Cambridge, you have my full support.
Fu*k Bush, Fu*k B-liar

Zappo

Additional Material Anyone..?

11.01.2004 14:40

Hi all,
Thank you very much to whoever posted this item up on the Newswire - well done.
However, if anyone has any pictures or audio of this demo, please feel free to post them up on the Newswire as well, so we can all see and (and maybe hear) what it was like.

Thank you.

IMC'er

Misunderstanding of Science

11.01.2004 17:34

Primate research is an neccessary stage in the development of new Medical pharmaceuticals and Surgical techniques.

I for one think that a well licenced, regularly inspected laboratory that experiements on animals is morally and ethically acceptable.

I do however think that more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of animals used in research in this country, because there are individuals and organisations that do not respect the animals they use in experiementation.

Dr Cockfoster

Full report on the demo

11.01.2004 18:32

Here:

http://www.primateprison.org/news_archive/04/10%20primateactionday.htm

Dr.Cocksucker ... we disagree. Animals should never be experimented on, eaten, worn or used to entertain in this world.

Bye

Bozo

Misunderstanding of science and ethics

11.01.2004 19:16

Thousands of drugs have gone on to injure or kill humans after being tested on animals, and the development of many drugs has been held up for many years due to misleading results from animal experiments. I obviously can not mention the drugs that have been rejected after harming animal but may have cured many human diseases, as we may never know of these. This is why many doctors and scientists would like to see an end of animal experiments.

As for more safeguards - it would be wonderful if we could ensure that those undergoing medical experiments are kept happy and free from physical or mental pain. Unfortunately, it seems that this is not going to happen. Time and time again scientific institutions have been exposed for cruelty. Protection laws are minimal, and they are not enforced. Jobs with lab animals unfortunately but inevitably tend to attract sadistic people rather than animal lovers. And many scientists are completely opposed to improving the animals' welfare, as this would be more costly and "if the animals have room to exercise and play then some will exercise more that others, so our results will not be accurate".

Indeed, most vivisection practices make it impossible to ensure "good welfare" - the animal is clean and well-fed, but can the electrodes in his/her head be said to be good welfare? Can cutting out part of the animal's brain be said to be good welfare? Can putting the brain damaged animal in a small cage and then counting how many times he or she spins in circles (one of the recent experiments at Cambridge Uni's current primate lab, filmed by BUAV) be good welfare? Can strapping the animal to a restraining chair for hours every day be "good welfare"?

As for the moral issue - even IF animal experiments could help us to cure illness faster, does this necessarily mean that they are ethical? The animals suffer tremendously during these experiments, for example from from overcrowding, boredom, fright, isolation, intentional abuse, and from the results of the experiments. They suffer just as we do, yet we think that it is acceptable to make them suffer where it would not be acceptable to make humans suffer. "But they're not as intelligent as we are!" is a common defence, but neither are mentally handicapped humans. Would it be acceptable to subject a human with the intelligence of a monkey to painful experiments in the hope of curing diseases faster? If not, then it is not acceptable to subject a monkey to them. If so, then we should ban animal experiments and use the mentally handicapped instead, as using humans in experiments will produce more effective cures far far faster than using animals can.

I would support vivisection if I thought that it prevented more suffering than it caused. But the vivisection industry is not trying to help people, it is trying to make money. For instance, most cancer is caused by lifestyle factors, yet we spend millions looking for a "cure" rather than encouraging people to live more healthy lives - why? because health tips can not be patented and so will not bring the discoverer fame and riches, unlike new drugs. Or we could stop pouring money into experimenting on animals and gave it to those who are starving instead - then we would certainly save many more lives than a cure for cancer would.

Arp

Photos of Demo

11.01.2004 21:24

It was definatly a wicked day on sat.

I would say about 500 were marching with a brilliant presence.

After marching around Cambridge town centre we headed up to were Girton labs would be, direct action came into play as we blocked the A14 and a couple of activists got out the police helicopter by getting on the roof of a college building there.

5 people were arrested, a mate of mine being taken in the back of police van said the cars were stopped for miles due to the blockade! The campaign is going from strength to strength but support and action are vital to stop the building of this torture chamber before it starts.

I've got a lot of photos from the day, if anyone wants to check them out that's no problem, just email me and i'll send them to you.

I've also got a great one of one of the pig's vans broken down and being towed.

Love and liberation.

cole
mail e-mail: naked_veggie@hotmail.com

Photos from the protest

12.01.2004 18:35

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

I thought the number of protesters was closer to 200, not the 1000 stated in the newswire. Anyway, here are a few photos.

Any excuse for a riot

12.01.2004 19:26

People like anarchists, leftists and so called animal rights activists are nothing but thugs who will use any excuse for a riot and a chance to cause mayhem. Why don't you all do something useful instead like volunteer to work for the Red Cross or Salvation Army.

The Hobbit

Wow, The Hobbit is right!

12.01.2004 22:04

Yeah, just look at those violent people rioting out of control! The grannies were particularly violent, I thought - the 80 year old woman threatened with police dogs, arrested and dragged off for sitting in the road didn't half cause some damage. Those poor coppers may never recover from the trauma.

And of course, the fact that people go on SPEAC demo's means that they never do anything "worthwhile" - all the ones I know buy vegan goods but avoid fair-trade and charity shops like the plague. They don't wear fur, but they actually seek out clothes made by child labour. They are incredibly racist, sexist and homophobic. They don't form groups like Vegfam or Food Not Bombs and risk imprisonment to feed homeless people. They don't spend all of their free time trying to help others - human or non-human. They don't live as simply as possible so they can give money to those who really need it - that's why they always look so posh in their designer gear. And they couldn't care less about the human victims of vivisection - in fact they don't even care about the animals. They just go on demos to riot. This is all completely true. Really.

And the Hobbit isn't a pathetic troll who gets his kicks out of pissing people off and causing arguments. He obviously believes deeply in what he is saying - just look at the strength of his arguments. Who could fail to be convinced by him? Certainly not I.

Alp

Riot? What Riot?

12.01.2004 23:03

Lol!

I was there too and I don't recall seeing anyone doing any rioting either!

Gee, you'd think by now that people would have come up with more inventive reasons by now for why we "need" to mutilate our furry friends, wouldn't you?

We're working on a feature on this story at the moement, so, watch this space.

IMC'er

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