National Primate Liberation Week (NPLW) 2003 was a
very successful event. Activists from across the United States came
together to promote awareness of the use of primates in experimentation.
Currently over 96,000 primates are confined within U.S. labs, with the
federal government spending over $500 million annually on primate
experimentation. (To enlarge the above photo
from Harvard, click on
the photo or link)
Throughout NPLW 2003 major laboratories that
experiment on primates were targeted across the U.S.. Public education
events took place in cities coast to coast. Activists in California,
Oregon, Washington, Texas, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida,
Michigan, New York, and Utah came together to expose abuses within
primate laboratories. (To enlarge the above
photo from Harvard,
click on the photo or link)
Our work was very successful. Media outlets in several
states produced major media stories covering the events of NPLW (see
links below). The Worcester Telegram & Gazette made their coverage of
National Primate Liberation Week into a front-page story. Please look at
the listings below to see photos from the protests and media coverage of
the work of SAEN and grassroots activists across the U.S.
(To enlarge the above photo from
Harvard, click on the
photo or link)
Possibly the most important part of our work during
NPLW was our filing of official USDA complaints against both the
University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW) and Harvard. We have requested
investigations of potentially painful/stressful experimentation at these
facilities. We have also requested investigations into the deaths of 29
primates at the UW.
(To enlarge the above photo from
University of Pittsburgh, click on the
photo or link)
On November 12, 2003 the University of Wisconsin made
an astounding announcement in a story (from the Daily Cardinal) titled:
UW-Madison alters policies on primate cruelty in research. This story
revealed that the UW would be substantially altering their policy on
painful experimentation in primates. We consider this a tremendous
victory for the primates at the UW.
We would like to express our gratitude to all of the
grassroots activists that participated in this event. We would also like
to thank these organizations for making National Primate Liberation Week
2003 such a success: the Northwest Animal Rights Network, In Defense of
Animals, Vigil for Animals, Animal Activists of Alachua, Alliance for
Animals, Massachusetts Action for Animals, Michigan Animal Rights
Society, New York Animal Rights Activists, Voices for Animal Liberation,
Utah Primate Freedom Project, and In Solidarity With Animals. We would
also like to thank the National Activists Network for assistance with
media work.
National Primate Liberation Week 2003 is an excellent
example of the results of cooperation and coordinated action. Through
the combined efforts of dozens of activists and many wonderful local and
national organizations hundreds of thousands of people were educated
about the abuses of primates within laboratories, and one of the largest
primate labs in the U.S. was forced to change internal policy on primate
experimentation.
We must all continue to work together to insure
continued progress for animals in laboratories.
There are over two hundred primate laboratories in the
U.S. If we are to change the fate of primates within these many
facilities we will need the support of activists across the United
States. Please contact us ASAP to get involved in this crucial campaign.
In Seattle, to demonstrate the
wastefulness of laboratory animal experimentation,
Dr. Knight is in the gorilla suit and his 2 "human
laboratory subjects" for his 'banana addiction research' are in the
cages. (To enlarge the photo from
Seattle, click on the
photo or link)
513-575-5517
saen@saenonline.org
