Animals Count active at World Day for Animals in Laboratories
Yesterday, the World Day for Animals in Laboratories attracted thousands of campaigners in Hyde Park, London, where everyone gathered before setting of for a march. Animals Count President, veterinarian and scientist, Andrew Knight, gave an excellent speech on the lack of scientific utility of animals for advancing human health care. Currently, the legal and scientific arguments against animal research are not sufficiently used by campaigners.
After the march, which ended in Whitehall, active member Richard Deboo delivered an inspiring speech (below) about Animals Count's policies, and many interested people spoke to Andrew and Richard afterwards.
According to Sky News campaigners say that in the 10 years since Labour came to power, the Government has done little to carry out pre-election promises regarding animal experiments. Despite lip-service to the concept of alternatives, laboratory animal use has steadily risen, in direct opposition to the wishes of voters. Around 3.1 million animals were used in 2007 - the most recent period for which figures are available.
We recently reported that MEPs of the AGRI committee voted on over 500 amendments to the revised EU Directive 86/609/EEC which regulates animal use, including allowing 'severe and prolonged suffering of animals used in research and testing' to be legal. The main European Parliament vote (‘the plenary’) will be around the 5th of May.
Everyone can help to persuade their MEP to re-introduce the original Commission proposals that safeguarded animals better. Please write to your MEP (preferably by snail mail as they are being overwhelmed by emails) or phone them, and kindly ask them to re-consider the amendments listed by UNCAGED.
Clearly, we need more effective strategies to help animals in laboratories, and the political strategy to influence both existing MEPs and to exert pressure on them by directly competing against them in the forthcoming EU elections, are very powerful ways that are likely to be far more effective than demonstrations alone. Thanks for your help!
26 April, 2008 