RUSSIAN ACTIVISTS PROTESTS AGAINST VIVISECTION & HLS CUSTOMERS

Sunday, 18th - Sunday, 25th April

World Week for Animals in Laboratories has been actively supported in Russia

Annual World Week for Animals in Laboratories was held from April 18th - 25th, 2010 in different countries around the world. Russian citizens were not aside and actions devoted to this week were held in Saint- Petersburg, Moscow, Petrozavodsk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Perm, Saratov, Krasnodar, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Murmansk, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk and Kirov.

In a number of cities the emphasis was placed on campaigns against clients of Huntingdon Life Sciences laboratory, where every day in severe lives of 500 animals are taken and 70 thousand animals are contained in cages. Clients HLS ordering these experiments on animals are presented in Russia.

During the actions lists of companies producing perfumes and cosmetics and household chemicals were distributed. In these lists an ethical companies, which do not use animals for testing their products are listed as well as those which had been involved in carrying out tests on animals.

Details on how the World Week for Animals in Laboratories was supported in Russian cities are below.

On April 28 in St. Petersburg activists visited the two business centers, where the offices of pharmaceutical corporations, which are cooperating with HLS - Novartis and Orion Pharma, are. The activists stood in front and held placards, chanted slogans and distributed leaflets. After that, the activists entered both buildings and handed out leaflets to employees form adjacent offices to HLS clients’. In the business center, where the office Orion Pharma is, security forced activists to leave the building.

During the Week in Tyumen on Tsvetnoy Boulevard info table took place for the first time. Passers-by could read the material on vivisection and other problems associated with the usage of animals. On 27 April, at a punk concert leaflets and 30 DVDs with documentary were handed out.

On April 26, in Rostov-on-Don in front of the business center, which houses the office of Schering-Plough, was drop a banner claiming "No to experiments on animals". On the same day in the office of Syngenta among employees were distributed informational materials on the HLS, and they were recommended to cancel the experiments. On the same day on the streets of the city a lot of stickers against vivisection were put.

On April 25 at the Malaya Konyushennaya street of St. Petersburg was held a theatrical performance, which clearly showed the conservatism of many representatives of science. In this sketch more advanced scientists explained, what the alternatives to experiments on animals are, and persuaded the students to use new and more humane and reliable technology in the experiments. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5B9ManSVIk
and Russian report: http://animalrights.spb.ru/?p=994

On April 25 in Rostov-on-Don, members of the Alliance for Animal Rights visited a vegetarian picnic, where they reported on the actions for the banning of vivisection and distributed leaflets.

On April 25 in Chelyabinsk a demo was held during which leaflets against vivisection, as well as against fur industry were distributed. Nearly 30 activists participated.

On April 25 in Saratov on the Kirov Avenue a picket was held. About 30 protesters chanted slogans: "No to experiments on animals," "experiments on animals - the new concentration camps", "Beauty does not require victims", "Animals are part of our world!", "Freedom of animals - freedom of human!" and handed out leaflets.

On April 25 in Nizhny Novgorod on Shchelkovo farm activists handed out leaflets, booklets and stickers. "No to experiments!", "Rats have  rights too!" and other placards were unrolled to attract attention. On April 26 at Freedom Square info table was placed.

On April 24, Petrozavodsk workshop "Experiments on animals: necessity or a crime?" took place. On the workshop organized by the Alliance for Animal Rights those came who have never heard of experimentation on animals. For them was shown the documentary "Experiment paradigm" and videos of modern laboratories, including HLS. The discussion came to the conclusion that it is necessary to develop alternative ways to conduct experiments. At the end of the workshop there was an exhibition of products not tested on animals available in Petrozavodsk.

On April 24 in Perm took “Not for experiments, but into friendly hands! "action against experiments on animals took place. Activists of the Permian animal defending organizations were looking for new trustees for the homeless animals that are often used in the experiments: mice, cats and dogs. Within the scope of the action activists placed white and black lists of producers in the "Practical Magic" stores. Shop staff very favorably took it and did not refuse to place listings. In the near future in student scientific society of biological faculty of Perm State University (PSU) documentary screening and discussion on alternatives to animal experiments are planned.

On April 24 at various locations in downtown of St. Petersburg activists of the Alliance for Animal Rights held flash mobs: on the streets and squares has appeared a group of people in white robes, carrying posters showing victims of the experiments.

On April 24, in Krasnodar nearly 20 activists met at the crossing of Red and North streets in the heart of the city. They unrolled a large banner claiming "Vivisection has no justification," and another with Pythagoras quote: "To anyone who calmly kills an animal is not difficult to kill a man".

On April 24 in Kirov near the city administration was held a rally in which 35 people participated. A variety of leaflets and CDs with documentary recorded, bright, flashy banner "Experiments on animals are deceit and cruelty" all together urged people to think about the problem of using animals in experiments.

On April 22, Murmansk independent animal defenders with the support of the “Nature and Youth" organization held documentaries screenings followed by discussion of humane education and alternatives to animal experiments in medicine.

On April 18 in Moscow about 20 activists staged a theatrical run at one of the most crowded streets of the city - Old Arbat. In the race participated vivisectors in bloodied robes, with huge syringe in his hands, and the guys in costumes of animals - mice, rabbits, raccoons. First, the crowd rushed in one direction – these were vivisectors chasing “animals”, then “animals” suddenly were given help and the pursuit turned against the persecutors, resulting in sadists overtook a deserved punishment. Many people took an interest in the action. Young men as well as grandmothers with their grandchildren photographed with runners and asked about the essence of what were happening. In a total of 15 minutes, activists managed to distribute 150 flyers.

Throughout the Week in Sochi distribution of information materials was held. One day a banner claiming "Experiments on animals are killing people!" was posted on in a conspicuous place in the city.

Thus, in the World Week for Animals in Laboratories residents of 13 cities of Russia attended for the first time. Organizational support for the many activities was provided by the Alliance for Animal Rights, and the group For the Abolish of Vivisection! (SHAC Russia).

In Italy and Britain thousands of people in these countries came out to the streets and held marches.

Do not believe those who say that nothing can be changed. Many people were not paying attention to such words, and acted to achieve their goals. Thanks to the many not indifferent people it became possible to close terrible farms for animals used in experiments and to ban testing products on animals in many countries. Many HLS allies refused to cooperate with them in a result of public pressure.

Campaign for the cancellation of vivisection goes on! Learn how to stop the cruelty, to disseminate information, participate in promotions and start a campaign on your own and your friends.

SHAC Russia

Russian text and photo: http://animalrights.ru/node/254

Other links to Russian resources on this topic:

SHAC campaign Russia: http://zhestokosti.net/shac
Campaign for the abolition of vivisection!: http://zhestokosti.net/vivisection/index.html
LiveJournal: http://stopanimaltests.livejournal.com/
Vkontakte: http://vkontakte.ru/club10847693
LiRu: http://www.liveinternet.ru/community/lj_stopanimaltests/
Mail.ru: http://blogs.mail.ru/community/stopvivisection/