Monday, February 6th
WAR Targets HLS Financial Backers in Support of the SHAC 7

Target #1
Activists arrived at the first target of the day, Bank of America, early in the afternoon. This BofA location is grand as it they own the entire block that the building is on….and they call it Bank of America Plaza. As usual, Bank Security was on the scene pacing nervously as we unfurled our bend new 10’ banner reading: “500 Animals Murdered Every Day. Help Huntingdon Life Sciences and Deal with Us. Smash HLS.” Employees and customers clustered at the bank windows reading the banner and signs and clearly horrified at what they were seeing. This protest’s effectiveness was doubled by manning an educational outreach table allowing us to talk to passersby as well as the employees and customers of Bank of America telling them that BofA has a major investment in animal abuse.

Target #2
Our next stop was one of the brand spanking new, high profile offices of Wachovia Bank on Madison Avenue. Wachovia still hasn’t gotten the message. As long as Robert Ingram, Vice President and Board Member of GlaxoSmithKline sits on the Wachovia’s Board of Directors, Wachovia will remain a target. Wachovia, we can see that you hate when we press our signs and banners against you expansive windows. Do yourselves a favor and cut your ties to Robert Ingram, GSK and HLS.

Target #3
Madison Avenue is a veritable cornucopia of HLS targets. Next stop was a block further along Madison, where we protested at the New York office of Chugai Pharma, subsidiary of Roche and customer of HLS. Having been here several times, building management knows the drill; but insisted on calling the NYPD anyway. Officers arrived and assured us that we had every right to be there and that we should just carry on, which we were only to happy to do. The large eye catching banner was unfurled one more time and tons of literature was distributed to the crowd.

Target #4
Further along Madison Avenue we came to our next target, Columbia Management, subsidiary of Bank of America and Major Investor in Puppy Killing at HLS. Our large graphic banner gave us the opportunity to march around the large plaza of the prestigious IBM Plaza. Many stopped us to ask why we had chosen that location which allowed us to explain how Columbia Management invests in animal cruelty and suffering. Building security and doormen seemed agitated and antsy as they kept asking protesters to move here and there. Everywhere they tried to move us put is in a better and more visible position. Again, a table was set up for educational outreach and a volume of literature was distributed to employees who were scurrying home.

Target #5
Daylight had fallen and so it was time to move over to Park Avenue and the fancy residence of Sir Deryck and Lady Vaofua Maughan. Deryck sits on the board of GlaxoSmithKline, premier customer of Huntingdon Life Sciences. We have been here so many times of late that the neighbors are starting to know us. We are pleased to report that Deryck and Vaofua’s neighbors think it is “absolutely disgusting” that GSK contracts with HLS to fund horrible animal cruelty and suffering. Many promised to have a word with the Maughan’s and activists promised to keep coming back until GSK severs its ties with HLS.

Target #6
Energy levels were beginning to drop as the wind howled making the frigid temperatures seem even colder. Our last stop of the evening was at the home of Karen L. Katen, Vice Chairman – Pfizer and President Pfizer Human Health. Pfizer is a customer of HLS. Activists attempted to deliver a packet of information, as this is a new target. The shivering activists pulled out the banner one more time and started their loud chanting in front of one of the most posh and luxurious building in Manhattan.

As soon as the chanting started, windows up and down the block started to fly open. Neighbors hung out of open windows cursing at the protesters without even knowing what the protest was about. They all got to hear an earful that night as we explained that 500 animal murders a day at HLS gave us the right to voice our anger and outrage. We will definitely be back again and soon!!!