by Kieren on June 5, 2006
It’s an extraordinary thing, this Pro-Test movement that started only a few months and yet has had an enormous nationwide impact on a very difficult subject – the use of animal testing.
On Saturday, the group – fronted as usual by 16-year-old Laurie Pycroft – had their second march through [tag]Oxford[/tag] and even though there were fewer people than the first march, despite it being a beautiful day, there was a real sense of something historic happening.
There was a similar feel at the first march on 26 February, but the sense that time was that this was the first time people had publicly stood up for animal testing. On 3 June, that change had come – wide media attention, GlaxoSmithKline publicly stating its support for animal testing, the prime minister himself signing a petition – and there was instead a collective sense of excitement that the movement had achieved so much in such a short period of time.
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by kierenmccarthy on January 15, 2006
There is an ongoing battle between animals rights groups and the University of Oxford over a new building being built in the heart of town. It’s been going on since the plans were announced in 2004 and has got increasingly ill-tempered.
The animal rights people managed to end construction a similar building in Cambridge and so, smelling victory, have gone all out to pressure Oxford into abandoning its plans as well.
It has led to some tough protests, court orders, dozens of claims, counter-claims and articles and some heavy duty intimidation and threatening of Oxford University staff and the contractors on the building. One of the consistent points has been regular protests and marches in town – of which there was another one on Saturday.
I actually guessed it while walking into town when I saw no less than 10 police officers on one stretch of road. Anyway, I had my camera with me and so decided to check it out.
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