Friday, April 28, 2006

WAR Launches Campaign to Educate Pfizer

Demo 1 - Pfizer

Activists with Win Animal Rights began their weekend activities with an information table prominently situated at the main entrance of Pfizer's world headquarters office. As more activists gathered, banners were unfurled and posters distributed as activists began their protest of Pfizer's relationship with Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Security at Pfizer was high and tight. NYPD had a contingent of officers and extra added building security guards were everywhere. It always makes street activists feel warm and cozy to know that the bill for heightened security will be expensive.

HLS may be doing the killing, but Pfizer is responsible for signing the contracts and paying the price to allow HLS to continue the cruelty and the killing at the laboratories. A tremendous amount of literature was distributed, much of it directly to Pfizer employees as they left the building to head home for the weekend. Many shook their heads and laughed having been told that this was World Week and that we would only be there for the day and that we would forget about them tomorrow. Obviously, they do not know who we are. We left chanting……”We'll be back” and we really mean it.

Demo 2 – Bank of America

Before beginning the evening activities, we noticed that a large branch of Bank of America was still open for business. Out came the signs and banners as we told B of A customers about subsidiary Columbia Management's investment in puppy killing at HLS. Hundreds of flyers were passed out on the busy sidewalk.

Demo 3 - Pfizer Director – Medical Relations

When Bank of America cleared out, activists marched to the nearby hi-rise building of Pfizer Executive David Stone. The doorman was taken by surprise. Our large and graphic banner was unfurled and the chanting began. Neighbors came out to see what all the noise was about and they were given literature about Pfizer's relationship with HLS.

Demo 4 – Pfizer Chief Medical Officer

Our next stop was the nearby home of Dr. Joseph M. Feczko who is Pfizer Chief Medical Officer and President of Worldwide Development for Pfizer. His neighbors all got an earful as Dr. Feczko lives in a neighborhood of 4 story brownstones. Many neighbors came to ask why we were in their quiet neighborhood. They were given literature and explanations.

Demo 5 – Hank McKinnell, Pfizer CEO and Chairman of the Board

Saving the best for last, activists headed over to the fancy neighborhood where Pfizer CEO Hank McKinnell owns an apartment. Although Hank isn't a permanent resident of the building, we have it from the very helpful doorman that the apartment is occupied by his daughter Alison and her husband Owen. We did leave Alison a DVD of “The Truth” and we hope that Alison will be moved to speak to her Dad and to ask him to stop financing the killing of 500 animals a day by cutting Pfizer's ties with HLS.

Just as we were leaving, a squad car with New York's “finest” NYPD Officers came riding to the rescue. Our banner was already back in the tube and our posters were packed in their portfolio but the NYPD insisted on telling us that we needed a permit to gather for a protest. We tried to explain to the officer that he was misinformed. That only made the veins on his temples throb dangerously, as he began to hyperventilate and scream at departing protestors. When will they ever learn……WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING PERMIT! as long as we are not using a bullhorn. We wish the NYPD were better informed about the law. It would make things so much more pleasant for over-anxious neanderthals in blue suits.