9th March
On Wednesday, eight concerned animal activists gathered in Oxford to protest against the university’s animal testing. Even though work on the labs has stopped for the time being as the university tries to find another builder (they were looking for some Eastern Europeans to take up the slack, their last candidate, promised for February, having apparently pulled out), animals are still dying in Oxford Labs.
Our first stop was Balliol College on Broad Street (Balliol College, Oxford, OX1 3BJ, Tel: 01865 277777; Fax: 01865 277803; email: college.secretary@balliol.ox.ac.uk), where we stood outside and peacefully demonstrated, giving out hundreds of leaflets and using the megaphone to clearly inform passerbys why we were there. We had a number of interesting debate with various individuals, and views were exchanged in a friendly manner.
By standing there we were achieving outreach to the students and academics of the University as to why people are opposing the new laboratories, since the University has shown little interest in stimulating debate on the issue. We also spoke to many visitors to the city who were shocked at the secretive regime of animal testing going on behind the spires.
Having had several successful hours there, we moved on to Wellington Square and Little Clarendon Street, home to much of the administrative domain (University of Oxford, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2J, Tel: 01865 270000, Fax: 01865 270708, webmaster@admin.ox.ac.uk). Again, we leafleted and expressed our message against the lab in a peaceful manner. People were very interested in hearing us judging by the number of heads poking out of windows and those standing in doors. It was clear that they had little exposure to us to date and wanted to know more about what their university was up to.
So, all in all, a very successful day of spreading the message about Oxford University’s cruel activity, and doing outreach to the many people in the university who it appears are getting only the vivisectors’ side of the story.
We will be back for more of the same peaceful demos, and will not be put of by the demonization of us in the media.
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