DIARIES OF DESPAIR PROTEST
Three hundred protesters descend on Home Office to demand independent
inquiry
Three hundred protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square on the first
anniversary of the publication of the Diaries of Despair report
and leaked documents that told the story of the most vicious vivisection
project in Britain in recent history.
The inspirational protest was launched by rousing speeches from
Kathy Archibald (Animal Aid), Dr Caroline Lucas (Green Party MEP
for South East England) and Dan Lyons (Uncaged Campaigns). They
tore into those responsible for pig-to-primate organ transplant
research and the Government's incestuous relationship with the vivisection
industry.
As the protest marched down Whitehall, Angela Roberts and Jez Bateman
joined Kathy and Caroline to submit over 150,000 signatures to the
Prime Minister opposing xenotransplantation research and requesting
an independent judicial inquiry. The finale of the march was a passionate
demonstration outside the Home Office, the department responsible
for sentencing five hundred higher primates to a wretched death
in Imutran's xenotransplantation research at Huntingdon Life Sciences
- and covering up the consequences.
Outside the Home Office, the crowd - dressed in primate costumes
and masks staged a die-in in poignant remembrance of the primates
tortured and slaughtered in xenotransplantation research. The dramatic
protest was really fired-up now. For a further hour the demonstration
confronted the Home Office in a dignified and heartfelt demand for
justice.
As part of the Diaries of Despair day of protest, a simultaneous
demonstration was held by activist group Protect Our Earth's Treasures
(POET) at Ohio State University in the United States to oppose the
carnage that Novartis is continuing to wreak in its pig-to-primate
research programme (see http://home.att.net/~poetwill/xeno_demo.html
for a report and photos).
Uncaged Campaigns, 21 September 2001
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