Friday, March 31, 2006

In solidarity with SPEAK

WAR works to stop the building of the Oxford Animal Testing Laboratory.

On Friday, March 31 st , Oxford Alumni traveled from throughout the North American continent to attend their Alumni Reunion at the posh Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The University and Alumni Association had warned conference attendees that there would be protestors both at the Waldorf and at off-site conference events and activities.

Activists held signs at this peaceful demonstration showing pictures of the primates, cats and dogs and other animals that are representative of the animals that will be housed and then used in cruel and inhumane experiments, if the building of the lab is completed.

Rather than loud chanting, alumni were greeted by smiling friendly faces and an attractive, well-stocked literature table. The head of the Alumni Association, various Oxford Professors and at least one of the University's Resource Development Managers visited our display.

Many of the alumni stopped by our literature table and chatted amicably with about two dozen activists and many expressed their support of our cause. They signed our petition and promised to speak to the Alumni Association and to their Alma Mater, University of Oxford, to voice their disapproval of the building of the lab. Over and over, alumni told us, that they were pleased that we were there and that they were happy to have the information we provided, to balance what they were being told by the University.

NYPD Officers from the Midtown North Precinct were easy to work with and even dispensed with the regular barriers that they typically erect to separate demonstrators from the public. This allowed us better and more direct access to conference goers and enabled us to more effectively outreach into the community.