WLALW 2009 -- Fighting for Animals across the Globe
World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week 2009 (WLALW) (April 18 – 26)
was an amazing success! During this phenomenal week,
protests, news conferences, and other media events targeted labs in 28
cities spanning 18 states and Washington, DC along with international
events taking place in France, Ireland, and England.
WLALW 2009 events were coordinated in Phoenix (AZ), Los Angeles,
Davis, San Francisco, & San Diego (CA), New Haven (CT), Tampa & Maitland
(FL), Atlanta (GA), Cambridge & Boston (MA), Ann Arbor, East Lansing, &
Kalamazoo (MI), Minneapolis (MN), Reno (NV), Concord (NH), Raleigh (NC),
Syracuse & New York City (NY), Columbus (OH), Portland (OR), Pittsburgh
& Philadelphia (PA), Austin (TX), Richmond (VA), Seattle (WA), and
Washington, DC.
During WLALW 2009, SAEN’s Michael Budkie led successful news
conferences in San Francisco and Davis (CA) announcing the launch of
SAEN’s unprecedented ground breaking anti-experimentation TV ads in Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Davis. Michael also was a key
speaker at a massive rally in Los Angeles and marched with San Diego
Animal Advocates at a protest targeting the Salk Institute. These
California events received major coverage blanketing all media outlets
exposing the truth about animal experimentation to hundreds of
thousands.
SAEN’s Los Angeles chapter worked in conjunction with Orange
County People for Animals (OCPA), UCLA Animal Law Society
(ALS), and Last Chance for Animals (LCA) bombarding area labs
with a week full of anti-animal research events. The week’s events
kicked off on Monday with a moving speech by Michael Budkie presented by
the UCLA Animal Law Society. Pressure continued on Wednesday with
major protests at two University of California campuses (Los Angeles and
Irvine). The UCLA protest collided with substantial resistance from a
pro-research group called Pro-Test. A major media blitz resulted
from the clash over UCLA’s animal testing and the huge turnout (over 100
activists) for the SAEN/LCA/OCPA/ALS event. This exciting week
climaxed on Thursday with a protest at Cedars Sinai.
Numerous WLALW 2009 events spanning the U.S. were exciting and
successful. Out west, Covance labs were targeted by local Phoenix (AZ)
activists to expose the company’s continuing animal abuse. Charles River
Laboratories was pressured by activists of Reno (NV). In Defense of
Animals’ northwest office protested at Oregon Health Sciences
University. The Northwest Animal Rights Network exposed the
suffering of primates at the University of Washington, Seattle.
In the northeast, Win Animal Rights organized several anti-HLS
events in New York City. People for Animal Rights coordinated a
protest at the Bristol-Myers facility in Syracuse (NY). Yale
Affiliates Animal Rights Network & PETA opposed Yale.
Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition rallied against animal testing
in Boston’s Copley Square and marched opposing primate experimentation
at Harvard. Reach Out for Animal Rights picketed the University
of Pennsylvania, the nation’s leading AWA violator.
In other areas, Protect Our Earth’s Treasures targeted animal
experimentation at Ohio State University in Columbus. The Pittsburgh
Association for the Abolition of Vivisection picketed at the
University of Pittsburgh. Defend Animal Rights Today and Tomorrow
organized an anti-HLS event in Washington, D.C., targeting the Vanguard
Group for their corporate ties to Huntington Life Sciences.
SAEN would like to thank all of the wonderful local and national
organizations and activists that made World Laboratory Animal Liberation
Week 2009 such a smashing success and look forward to continued
cooperation as we work for a day when events like WLALW will no longer
be necessary!.
