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Uncaged Campaigns,
5th Floor,
Alliance House,
9 Leopold Street,
Sheffield,
S1 2GY, UK
+44 (0) 114 272 2220
info@uncaged.co.uk
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7th International Animal Rights Day (IARD)
10th December 2004
CANDLELIT VIGILS AROUND THE WORLD CALL FOR RIGHTS FOR ANIMALS
 On
and around Friday 10 December 2004 - the 7th International Animal Rights
Day organised by Uncaged - animal campaigners in all corners of the UK
and across the world gathered for candlelit vigils and protests at places
where the rights of animals are abused. This was the most successful ever
International Animal Rights Day, spreading a positive message about the
need for a new attitude of respect and tolerance towards the other animals
with whom we share this planet.
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland
International Animal Rights Day (IARD) is growing into a major day of
action. There were over 40 separate events in the UK, including vigils
at the following sites where animal experiments take place: Harlan UK
(Leicestershire), Pfizer Pharmaceuticals (Ramsgate, Kent), National Institute
for Medical Research (London), and Cambridge, Southampton and Leeds Universities.
There were also vigils at: battery farms in Cornwall and Tanworth in Arden
(West Midlands); at Walthamstow (London) and Coventry (West Midlands)
greyhound
tracks; at butchers; and the shops of charities that fund vivisection
(Kent).
In addition there were many campaign stalls in town centres and High
Streets in order to allow the public to sign up
to the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights and to receive information
about what being 'for animal rights' really means: public debate and passionate,
intelligent opposition to cruel practices such as those at vivisection
laboratories. Not a question of putting animals before humans, but a rational
philosophy that leads one to respect all life.
There was also a large vigil at the Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate,
London SW1H 9AT. The Home Office quite literally signs the death warrants
for millions of animals killed in animal experiments every year, and has
come under intense pressure to come clean about the corrupt way it licenses
and 'regulates' animal experiments after Uncaged's devastating Diaries
of Despair exposé. (There are regular protests at the Home
Office on the last Friday of every month - call Svetlana on 0207 254 5350
for more details.)
Uncaged staged a large and striking vigil at the University of Sheffield,
which also vivisects animals (see pictures top and below, click
here for details of recent examples of Sheffield University vivisection).
There was a great turnout from the University and local animal rights
groups, and excellent support from the public - many of whom 'beeped against
animal cruelty'. This protest and those across the UK attracted a great
deal of interest from print, TV and radio media. Many Uncaged supporters
also managed to get letters about the day of action printed in their regional
newspapers.
Campaigning outside the University of Sheffield.
Worldwide
There were over a dozen non-UK countries participating in this year's
International Animal Rights Day, including: the Netherlands, France, the
Republic of Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Spain, Portugal,
New Zealand, Australia, the USA and Italy.
Our friends at International
Campaigns, France, co-ordinated a string of vigils and campaign stalls
in Paris, Nice and Lille, on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th December, against
the country's fur, vivisection and meat industries. For the second year
running Een DIER Een VRIEND
(EDEV) organised a large 230-person IARD protest in the Netherlands.
There was a 7km march through the town of Delft, and vigils at the BPRC
and TNO vivisection sites in Rijswijk.
More details and photos from these and other vigils, and protests
will appear on this page shortly.
For news and pics of various events that took place on International
Animal Rights Day 2004 in the West Midlands of England, click
here.
Related links:
Uncaged Campaigns 13.12.04 |
