TIPIUNTIN NINI lCRU Tel: 0121 632 6460
Newsletter 7
Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, PO Box 381, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 1YN
email: info@shac.u-net.com
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NATIONAL DEMO 16th SEPTEMBER 2000 Despite the petrol crisis people from all over the country gathered in the Cambridge area to demonstrate outside Aventis, Novartis and Imutran, HLS 's largest customers. For those who didn't manage to get petrol there was a flurry of activity all over the country including shareholder demos, SK product demos and workers home visits to name but a few. ·Everyone put their time to good use on the 16th. The day staited at Aventis at 12 noon, the police had no idea we were there to . begin with and we were able to surround the building and get into the grounds. We left them in no doubt that we are aware of there filthy industry and its link with HLS. After a road block outside Aventis we moved on to Novartis. Once again protesters got into the grounds, thanks to the security guard who left the gate wide open and as we arrived some were able to walk straight into the company unchallenged and others scaled the fences, whilst police officers looked the other way! Once inside protesters quickly got onto the roof of Novartis. The police panicked and tried to rush through a section 14 but it was too late for that. They hadn't even worked out that Novartis was likely to be a target! The protest then moved on to two Imutran sites as well as home visits to the workers. The demo carried on until 6pm leaving HLS customers in a dilemma as to how much money they will have to spend to step up theif secm;ity systems. They now understand that as customers of HLS they have become a target because of their involvement in animal abuse and suffering. It was a truly amazing day. The message is getting across to anyone and everyone who has links with HLS. You can run but you can't hide, we will target you and we WILL WIN.
• The next National Demo is Saturday 4th November. Please try and get there if you can. If possible contact us and give us your mobile telephone number so that we can contact you on the day if the destination changes.
Editwtia£ Firstly, the four activists imprisoned before the last mail-out are all free and in excellent spirits, they would like to say a big thank you for your support. This is an excellent opportunity for us to look at HLS and SHAC. Who is weak and who is winning? Let's first look at HLS, are they strong? The fact of the matter is they have never been weaker. HLS do not now own the labs at Huntingdon and Princeton. A company with no assets is a company who are in serious trouble, next time they get out the begging bowl what have they got to offer? NOTHlNG! In their last quarter results HLS lost £2.5 million in just 3 months which are worse results than a year ago. So much for turning HLS around, their share price is pathetically low at the moment and has been that way for a long time. WE CONTROL HLS's SHARE PRICE, NOT THEM. Just as things looked as if
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they couldn't get any worse the Xeno scandal finally broke in the Express, now admittedly its not in yer face like Countryside Undercover but in many ways it's just as important, here's how: We can show that HLS have broken the law, they were lying to Imutran and the scientific community and they broke the all important Good Laboratory Practice 520 times! Cass and Co. have always distanced themselves from Countryside Undercover by saying they were not in charge then and everything changed when they took over in 1998, we always knew that they were lying and now we can prove it. The documents in our hands run to over 4,000 sheets and are the largest cache of documents ever to be leaked from a lab. In a nutshell they show that from 1995-2000 HLS has been a bloodbath. They have been breaking rule after rule and guideline after guideline and its all there in their own documents written by themselves. PLEASE , IF YOU NEVER READ ANYTHING ELSE READ THE NEXT FEW PAGES and understand what it is all about, because in time we will look back on this and
realise this was the beginning of the end. Now lets look at SHAC,we are as strong as ever, is this bravado? Our message has been ACTION NOT WORDS, HLS, their shareholders, their workers, and customers are being CRUSHED now more than ever. This will continue to get stronger come what may. If we weren't crushing HLS, the Metropolitan police would not have written to every financial institution in the city of London pleading with them to stop any inside financial info coming from their firm to us, did this work? Ha! Ha! The information flow from our city contacts is greater than ever, so there's your answer! We have always said we stop for NO ONE - WHOEVER THEY MAY BE and we mean it, there is no betraying the animals NOT NOW NOT EVER. We are not just winning we are doing it publically for everyone to see, and in style destroying Europe' s largest contract vivisection labs. Play your part in history UP AND AT 'EM!!
Newsletter No. 7
At last! Investigation number four into Huntingdon Life Sciences' cruelty, lies and incompetence was exposed in the Daily Express on the 21st and 22nd September 2000 (see headline, right). The Daily Express was shown a volume of confidential documents the largest set of data on animal experiments ever leaked - which showed the true extent of suffering and incompetence that takes place inside HLS laboratories. The documents concern xenotransplantation experiments commissioned by Imutran and carried out at HLS. The leaking of these documents is an embarrassment and a disaster for HLS and Imutran (In fact Imutran have already packed up and left the country in shame) . It has been proved that HLS has lied again! Never again can they say the animals do not suffer, or that staff respect and love the animals , or that they behave in a professional manner . HLS has been well and truly caught out AGAIN. It is with no surprise that we notice that HLS has not written one single letter to the Express . Could it be for once they have nothing to say? No comment ? Does HLS have no defence? Absolutel y. Read on and you'll see why.
the UK biotechnology company Imutran (subsidiary of the multinational drug firm Novartis) and conducted at HLS. The experiments involved the transplantation of hearts and kidneys from genetically engineered pigs into baboons and cynomolgus monkeys.
The Facts To see the full report and documents please visit www.xenotransplantation .org. uk We have tried to summarise the main points for you out of literally hundreds of pages of reports, faxes, confidential letters and emails etc. What stood out for us is the sheer cruelty, suffering, incompetence and futility of the studies in the first place . It makes harrowing reading. How many primates? At least 424 cynomolgus monkeys and 49 baboons were tortured and killed during the course of this project.
What is Xenotransplantation? Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of live organs, tissues How many pigs? or cells between different specie s. 10,000 pigs were killed to provide Such transplants are also referred to transgenic organs. as xenografts. The leaked information we saw Good Laboratory Practice? included 39 draft • • • , , ,·, r /', , , ,' r , ,., r, ,,, The principle s of Good 1 reports describing Laboratory Practice were xenotransplantation X34f Swollen stomach wound breached 520 times! seeping blood. ' experiments on X51m Quiet and huddled, liquid Errors and incompetence higher primates faeces. Vomit in cage One female monkey was given W763m V. Quiet and huddled .. commissioned by ,
1
a quadruple overdose by HLS staff by mistake. Figure 1 below shows the observations that HLS staff noted.
Pathetic errors In one report alone it was noted that the weights of 6 xenografted kidneys were "not recorded in error" during necropsy. Weighing the xenografted organs after a primate was killed - a standard requirement of the studies since 1995. More errors The transgenic piglets killed for their organs were supposed to weigh 2-3kg, only 2 out of 22 "donor" piglets fell into this range in one study. Strangely this wasn't mentioned in the file report. Suffering 120 cynomolgus monkeys in studies 3, 4 and 5 had hearts, kidneys and pancreatic isles cells removed from pigs transplanted into their bodies. Forty monkeys died as a result of the surgery, These are termed "technical failures". Deaths Those monkeys who survived the surgery all died later. Some monkeys were found dead in their cages and others suffered as shown on figure 2 over the page :
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Breach of the law 16 conditions specified by the Home Office were broken within six weeks. In July 1997 HLS came very close to losing their licence (an unprecedented move) after Countryside Undercover was shown on Channel Four. On 27th October 1997 George Howarth told Parliament that HLS had satisfied the 16 conditions set by the Home Secretary Jack Straw. On 6th and 7th November 1997 a
group of cynomolgus monkeys , who had already been part of a previous experiment were now being re-used in another one. This is illegal and a clear breach of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Threats to human life Seven baboons with the lethal (to humans) Simian Herpes B virus were used in xenotransplantation experiments by transplant surgeons from Papworth Hospital. These surgeons almost certainly went on to operate on immuno-suppressed human patients. Incompetence These same baboons were not tested for a crucial antibody before surgery. Septic Spleen A swab was left inside a monkey after surgery by HLS staff "by mistake" that caused his spleen to go septic resulting in his death.
Incompetence again leads to death A piglet's kidney was found to be frozen just before it was to be transplanted into a primate who was on the operating table and had already had her own kidneys removed resulting in her "sacrifice"(! suppose it is true to say that because of this "error" she was saved from a living hell). More mistakes There are literally hundreds of mistakes shown in the documents (how many mistakes weren 't recorded?) that make a nonsense of a futile project. These mistakes added to the harrowing distress and pain caused to these animals. Here are a few more examples of the "couldn't care less" attitude by staff at HLS. • Uncovered veterinary medications stored next to test drugs in the experiment.
- This is ~w.hat baboons should be doing lazing in the sun in the wild. Not being tortured to death insitle HLS.
Newsletter No. 7 suffering and distre ss the se animals were subjected to.
Expose Most of you will remember the Mail on Sunday expose earlier this year which led to the closure of Richard Mann's 'baboon supply' business in Na irobi , Kenya . Mann trapped wild baboons and sold them to laboratories all around the world. The baboons on his premises were found kept in ramshackle metal cages which gave no protectio n from extreme heat or rain. Some had no water and a nursing mother was found trapped -which is ille gal. HLS had no problem dealing with Mann.
• Unsatisfactory preparation and labelling of each animal's drug do se. • Old, inaccurate and unauthori sed instructions. • Unsatisfactory "housekeeping. " • Persistently inadequate humidity leading to breach of protocol in the baboons ' environment.
Blood samples by taxi Primate blood and tissue samples were ferried around by taxi. A blatant disregard for human life and safety!
Raboons We shall now deal with the fate of the baboon s at HLS . We know at least 49 baboon s were kille d during these experiments at HLS. They were all 2-4 years old-mere ju veniles.
Wild Caught These baboon s were wild-caught in Kenya. It is hard to imagin e the severe
Baboon's Torment at HLS: 1. Severe Suffering Proved The leaked D ocumentation proves absolutel y that the animals' suffering is not disputable. We know thi s from the 'researcher s' own notes. Here are just a few examples of researchers observations on baboons after transplantation. Vocalising, died following collapse . Reluctant to mo ve, salivating , swelling so large animal sacrificed. Very laboured breathing , found dead . Severe tremors upper tor so and head. Sudden collapse, quiet and lethargic , huddled , anima l died during examination. Transplanted heart ju st palpable , bloody dischar ge from penis, vomit during dosing. Extreme difficulty in walking , large open wound , large abdominal wall abscess, lying on cage floor . 2. Figures Six baboons had piglet hearts grafted onto their necks . Twenty seven baboons had piglet he arts inserted into their abdominal cavity . Sixteen baboons' hearts were replaced with piglet heart s. 3. Technical Failures 31 % of the se baboon s died within the first 24 hours of surge ry due to 'tec hnical failures' . some of the se technica l failure s were due to sheer incompetence such as a size mismatch bet ween the pig heart and the baboon' s body or the sour ce piglet being too young.
4. Deaths The remaining baboons died as a result of one of the following: Infection s Toxic effects of immuno-suppressant drugs Heart failure as a result of rejection Heart failure for apparently inexpli ca ble reasons All of thi s intense and protracted suffering of the wild-caught baboon s was inflicted with the blessing and support of the Home Office.
5. Lightning Four baboons were killed by lightning while being held in metal cages on Mann's premises in Kenya.
6. Journey Times The journey time for the importation of 'the bloody things ' (this is how Mike Kirkup-Imutran-described the baboon s) was 34 hours. lmutran estimated it would take 20-24 hour s. 7. Captive 31 baboons spent between 6 months and 2 years in captivity at HLS. For a wild-caught baboon to be kept in a steel cage for such a length of time before the experiments undoubtedly caused enormous distress.
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How many monkeys? 424 cynomolgus were killed after experiments for xenotransplantation at HLS. Where did they come from? We know that at least 189 cynomolgus monkey s came from the Simian Con servation and Breeding Centre (SICONBREC) in the Philippines . Sound s like monkey heaven! In reality it' s hell . At least 117 monkeys came through Shamrock Farm which was forced to clo se by prot ests earlier this year . 5
The Huntingdon Campaign
and died because of the immunosuppresant drugs they were given.
Deaths in Transit Eight Cynomolgus monkeys have died in transit to' the UK since 1995. Three of these monkeys were destined for xenotransplantation research at HLS. These three were found dead on arrival in Paris from the Phillipines in 1998. On 5th August 1998 the monkeys had been travelling for 35 hours after being packed into crates in the Phillipines. The surviving monkeys arrived at HLS (Eye, Suffolk) after a total journey time of over 50 hours. Home office Minister Mike O'Brian stated that the deaths "were probably due to a combination of factors" including - the size of the crates, ventilation, females in heat and journey time. Basically the monkeys couldn 't stand up properly or turn around for two days. Ventilation regulation s were broken and females in heat would cause added stress to nearby males . No-one provides any protection for these animals. Home Office "investigations" are a whitewash and an exercise in paperwork. HLS took responsibility for the importation of monkeys for experiments.
Torture and Death of Cynomolgus Monkeys at HLS Cynomolgus Monkey's Hearts Transplanted into Baboon Necks: • Around 80 cynomolgus monkeys were cut open and killed and their hearts were transplanted into the necks of Baboons. No final report is available. • 61 cynomolgus monkeys had piglet hearts grafted into their abdomens. • 33 of these died due to 'technical failures'. The remaining 28 all died on average 25 days later. • Notes made by HLS staff were similar to the observations made with reference to the baboons, 'huddled, eyes swollen, body tremors, salivation, reluctant to use legs etc.' • Monkey W468F's tail was amputated due to gangrene. • Two monkeys were found dead on day two. • Another monke y was found dead and 'rigor morti s had set in '. • On eleven occasions the study report states: "No comment made on condition of animal" • "Records not available" was seen on 14 occasions. • Many cynomolgus monkeys suffered
To write this article I have had to read through pages of documents which make me very angry and break my heart. When you stop and think how amazing these creatures are it can't fail to move you into action and it makes us all more determined than ever to close HLS. The primates are normally so strong and agile, they are intelligent and have complex relationships with other primates. Primates are capable of feeling emotions as we do. Japanese researchers filmed Snow Monkeys in the wild over several years. During filming , one female gave birth to a still born baby. The mother would not leave her dead baby - in fact she would not let go of it. She carried its little body everywhere. At night she would climb up into a particular tree, hold the dead baby in her arms and scream. The researcher said it was the most blood curdling scream she had ever heard. This continued for three days and three nights. How can you put into words what these sensitive primates, tortured and murdered by HLS, went through? There is so much horror in these documents, the list goes on and on and we don 't have the room to include it all. Plea se read it for yourself on the website: www.xenotra nsplantation.org.uk Get Angry and Get Active!
GoodLaboralory PracHce 520 times the principles of Good laboratory practice were breached or ignored by incompetent HLS staff. What is Good Laboratory Practice? Good laboratory Practice (GLP) has little to do with 'animal welfare' in the laboratory. International standards of GLP exist to which testing laboratories are obliged to adhere to in order to
Newsletter No. 7 maximise the reliability of data generated by the studies they conduct. The department of health is the national authority in this country for monitoring standards of GLP.
Yellow Card for HLS The GLP Monitoring Authority (GLPMA) gave HLS a warning notice on 1 May 1997. Inspections at HLS following Channel 4's "It 's a Dog's Life" by the GLPMA found "a number of serious deficiencies in their GLP procedures". In fact there were "serious deviations from GLP procedures". The GLPMA stopped short of stripping HLS of it's membership of the GLP programme. HLS escaped a devastating blow to the company which would have prevented it from conducting studies intended for submission to regulatory authorities. By 15 July 1997 GLPMA claimed they were satisfied with HLS and were also satisfied with a re-inspection in September 1997. With 520 breaches of Good Laboratory Practice proven in these documents it is obvious that either the GLPMA strips HLS of its membership or they admit that their membership MEANS NOTHING. If a study is conducted at a test facility which is not a member of the UK GLP compliance programme, then the operator of that facility "shall be guilty of an offence".
■ Write to the GLPMA TODAY. Demand that they strip HLS of its membership. Ask them how can they hope to retain any sort of credibility if they don't? Brian Cass (managing director) has repeatedly boasted of HLS's membership of GLP. Does the GLPMA really want to be associated with a corrupt and ailing company such as HLS? Tell the GLPMA that both SHAC and Uncaged campaigns believe a judicial enquiry into the breaches of GLP by HLS is necessary. Write To:
Dr. Roger Alexander Head of GLPMA Market Towers The Medicines Control Agency 1 Nine Elms Lane London SW8 5NQ
SmHhkline Reecham Obviously without customers HLS no longer exists . HLS lost many customers after Countryside Undercover "It's a Dog's Life" in 1997. Some came back, others didn't. Smithkline Beecham (SKB) is one of HLS 's biggest customers . SKB said after the Home Office investigation in 1997 that its confidence in Huntingdon Life Sciences was "completely dented" and that it would "not be giving them any further work ". SKB did a U-turn in 1998 and lifted its ban on further work for HLS in February that year. This is a statement from Smithkline Beecham: "Any future failure to maintain good practices in animal husbandry will lead SKB to permanently withdraw from working with HLS." Observer 5th July 1998. It is interesting to note that at the time of the above quote, HLS's share price was 18p, today it stands at just 6p. Brian Cass claimed two years ago that he was going to "tum the company around", See page 11 for SmithKline's address.
l-lome Qf{ke The Home Secretary Jack Straw could have revoked HLS's certificate of designation in 1997. Instead he imposed 16 conditions . HLS did not satisfy these 16 conditions specified by the Home Office; despite public assurances to the contrary, therefore we are left with the three following explanations: • The Home secretary misinformed the house of commons and the public by claiming that HLS had satisfied the 16 conditions. • The Animals (Scientific Proce dures) Inspectorate misinfo rmed the Home Secretary about the situation at HLS. • HLS mi sinf ormed the Animal (Scientific Proce dure s) Inspectorate about the implementation of the requ ired improvements at their establishments.
When writing to the Home Office don't forget to ask which of the three explanations is correct. Also ask the Home Office: Why was HLS allowed to retain their certificate when they had illegally reused animals in experiments just one month after the Government had given HLS "a clean bill of health"? Why did the Home Office not disclose the breaches of International Air Transport Regulations which lead to the deaths of 3 primates on a 48 hour journey from the Phillipines to HLS laboratories when asked in a parliamentary question? Do the Home Office agree that for the Good Laboratory Practice Monitoring Authority to retain any form of credibility, they must strip HLS of its membership immediately due to the fact that principles of GLP were breached at least 520 times at HLS? What comment does the Home Office have about the fact that hospital surgeons were operating on baboons with the deadly Simian Herpes B virus and then working with immunosuppressed patients? What are they going to do about it? Does the Home Office agree that due to the predictable failure to make any progress in xenotransplantation
The Huntingdon Campaign research in five years, the severe suffering inflicted on hundred s of primates and thousands of pigs, the total incompetence of HLS staff and the resulting embarrassing expose of the vivisection industry and the Home Office, that a licence for this research should never have been issued in the first place?
recent devastating expose is just the fourth one concerning HLS and THERE WILL BE MORE . Point out that Imutran ltd., one of HLS's biggest customers, have packed up and left the country and we're sure others will follow. Investing in animal cruelty is not a sound financial investment and vivisectors and crazed scientists who want to transplant organs from one species to another are learning the hard way that they are not welcome in the UK.
Shareholders InIILS
The RSPCA The RSPCA called for the closure of HLS after 'It's a Dog's Life' in 1997. The RSPCA then did a U-turn earlier this year and said HLS had 'cleaned up its act' and should stay open.
To the right you will see the addresses of the top 3 shareholders in HLS. Now is the time to write to them and ask them why they continue to invest in a company that is on its knees. HLS's share price used to be £3.60. They stand today at just 6p, that's a third of the price they were in 1998. HLS will definitely close. Remind the shareholders that there is a strong campaign against HLS which has massive public support . This most
• Digest this information. • Look at the website www.xenotransplantation.org.uk • Write letters to the Home Office, RSPCA, GLPMA, newspapers (congratulate the Express on running the story) and shareholders. • The campaign has produced a 40 page report on the xeno' scandal detailing fully HLS's fourth expose. Order your free copy today, read it, then contact your MP over the report's findings. • Get yourself to the gates of HLS as often as you can with messages and words of 'encouragement'(to leave their jobs!) for HLS staff.
The plan was working, they were just as thick as he'd expected, "He's an inspector checking the exits"!
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Whatever you do, DO IT NOW! HLS is crumbling - let's finish them off for good!
Newsletter No. 7
HOW CAN YOU? Please write to the following companies and ask them how they can justify using HLS in the light of this fourth expose in 10 years. Please mention the main points in the xenotransplantation article starting on page 3. Include the 520 Good Laboratory Practice breaches, HLS breaking the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, lying to lmutran and don't forget their overwhelming incompetence. Do not give these companies a platform to waffle on about vivisection in general. Please keep your letters about HLS and the xeno scandal. More than anything please, please write to them as a few letters makes them realise that this will not go away. Please pass onto the campaign any replies. AgrEvo, Hau:x.ton, Cambridge, Cambs, CB2 SHU, 01223 870312 . Astra Zeneca Plc, 15 Stanhope Gate, London, WlY 6LN, 0207 3045000 Bayer Pk, Bayer House, Strawberry Hill, Newbury, Berks, RG14 lJA , 01635 563000 British Biotech Pk, Watlington Rd, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 SLY, 01865 748747 Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 141-149 Staines Rd, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 3JA, 0208 572 7422 Bristol Myers Squibb Holdings, Swakeleys House, Milton Rd, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UBlO 8NS, 01895 628000 Ciba Speciality Chemicals Charter Wy, Macclesfield, Cheshire,
Monsanto Plc, PO Box 53, Lane End Rd, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 4HZ, 01494 474918 Novartis, Delta House, Southwood Crescent, Farnborough, Rants, GU14 ONL, 01252 549199
Pfizer, Ramsgate Rd, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9NJ, 01304 616161 Pharmacia & Upjohn, Davey Avenue, Knowhill, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MKS 8PH, 01908 661101 Reckitt & Colman Ltd, I Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, W4 2RW, 0208 9446464 Rhone-Poulene Rorer Ltd, RPR House, 50 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4AH, 01732 584000
01625 421933
Colgate Palmolive, Guildford Business Park, Middleton Rd, Guildford, Surrey, GU25LZ Du Pont, Du Pont House, Wedgewood Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG 1 4QN
Eli Lilly, Li1ly House, 13 Hanover Square, London, WlR 0PA, 0027 409 4800 Glaxo Wellcome, Glaxo Wellcome House, Berkeley Avenue, Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 0NN, 0207 4934060 Hoescht, Hoescht House, 50 Salisbury Rd, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JH, 0208 943 4040
Roche Products Ltd, Albany Place, 40 Broadwater Rd, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL7 3AY, 01707 365708 Sanofi Winthrop Ltd, I Onslow St, Guildford, Surrey, GUI 4YS, 01483 505515 Schering-Plough Ltd, Schering Plough House, Falcon Way, Shire Park, Welwyn. Garden City, Herts, AL 7 1TW Smithkline Beecham FREEPOST, TK 2018, Brentford, TW8 9BR 0800 096 3666 Warner Lambert Ltd, Lambe1t Court, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, Rants, SO53 32Q Yamanouchi Ltd, Yamnouchi House, Pyrford, West Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 6RA, 01932 350797.
Merck Sharp & Dohme, Hertford Rd, Hoddesdon, Herts, ENll 9BU, 01992 467272 9
Th@Huntingdon Campaign
Located on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Hereford is a building which on first inspection looks quite innocent. It is only when you look around the back of this building that the true, horrific nature of their business becomes apparent. For this is not like the other businesses on the industrial estate. This is the business of suffering. This is the business of Arrowmight Biosciences. Arrowmight Biosciences supply a vast array of equipment to vivisection labs . According to a recent provivisection publication, Arrowmight supplies the most comprehensive range of animal equipment in Europe. They are a major design-and -build resource for international contract and pharmaceutical research organisations. They I?rovide animal cages for primates, dogs, pigs, mice, rats , guinea pigs and rabbits. According to the same publication Arrowmight's specialities include: necropsy benches, dunk tanks and metabolism cages. Metabolism cages are used to confine animals during a toxicology experiment. Animals are kept alone and without bedding. Monkeys are often strapped into a sitting position where they can not move at all. Animals are kept like this for many days at a time. During this time they are poisoned by massive doses of weed -killers, pharmaceutical products or whatever is being tested at the time. We can reveal exclusively in this newsletter that Arrowmigh t also supply Huntingdon Life Sciences and this put s them directly in our line of fire. This information came to light when the campaign anonymously received
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several dispatch notes which show , that Arrowmight deal with HLS on a ., regular basis. f As we have mentioned before, this campaign will target anyone who is connected with HLS. Whether that be the people who fund HLS (shareholders), HLS's customers or the companies that supply HLS. Arrowmight fit into the latter category . After receiving this confidential dispatch note, SHAC investigators paid a visit to Arrowmight's offices in Hereford. Walking around the back of the office block they found numerous kinds of animal cages and restraint equipment in various stages of construction . One of the investigators said: "As we walked round I could just picture the animals imprisoned in the cages and it brought a tear to my eye . It was clear that some of the cages had been returned from labs for some kind of refurbishment. It makes me shudder to think about the animals that have suffere d and died in those small cages ."
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Rotherwas Industrial Estate, Hereford HR2 6JD. Tel:01432 352904 Fax:01432 344960 Tell them what you think about their dealings with the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences.
The first day of action against SmithKline Beecham products was held on Saturday 26th August. This day was a resounding success with over 30 demonstrations taking place outside Pharmacies and Supermarkets across the country. The response from the public was tremendous, with many people vowing never to use SmithKline products ever again. Many people who were offered leaflets wanted to know what other products they could and couldn't buy. To help out the campaign can provide booklets listing which products are tested on animals and which are not. This information is also provided on our website www.shac.net. Listed below are a few quotes from SHAC supporters who held demonstrations on the National Products Day :
GLOUCESTER: "Quite a few customers said they usually bought Ribena but would not be buying it again. Most customers were very responsive and would not be buying any of the products in the future."
WILTSHIRE: "People were shocked to find out that some of their favourite family products such as Lucozade were involved with the horrors of animal testing."
DORSET: "We had a good response from the public and most were unaware of the connection between animal testing and SmithKline products. An advertising bus read out on a megaphone for support."
TESCO 411W ,,,.,,,,
LONDON: "Stickers were slapped on products whilst the Tesco security were distracted by a 5ft something white rabbit who was handing out leaflets to customers. Many customers and staff were shocked at what they read."
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CARDIFF: "Since the activists from Cardiff have started targetting SmithKline products, the Welsh public have realised that SB products are not quite so tidy."
BRISTOL: "The response of the public was amazing. In time to come SKB will come to learn just like the Natwest, how dealing with HLS financially damages them"
~,..~ -1! Write to Smi thkli ne Beecham today and ask them if they are going to ~,,. stand by their statement in light of the mountains of damning evidence ......__.__ again st HLS which has been brought to national attention, (see page 7). • Contact them at: SmithKlin e Beecham , FREEPOST TK2018, Brentford, TW8 9BR (remember this is a FREEPO ST address so SmithKline will have to pay for any large parcel s they recei ve. • Ring SmithKline on FRE EPHONE 0800 0963666 and express your disgust at their association with HLS.
Next National Product Day - Saturday 28th October. Demonstrate outside your local supermarket against SmithKline products. Merchandise available, please ring us. 11
The Huntingdon Campaign
CAMPAIGN GOES TRANSATLAN In mid-August the campaign against Huntingdon Life Sciences had a huge boost when US based In Defense of Animals (IDA) agreed to join the campaign. Their role would be to primarily attack HLS in America. By having actions on both sides of the
Atlantic the inevitable closure of HLS will come even quicker.
On Friday September 8th a major protest at Huntingdon Life Science in East Millstone, NJ, USA, resulted in five unfounded arrests, this led to even more demos and unprecedented press coverage. Approximately 75 people attended the protest at HLS. Upon arriving, activists found Franklin Township Police had barricaded off a small area far from the driveway which workers, who the protesters were hoping to reach, would be exiting for the evening. The area adjacent to the driveway is public property and a perfectly legal area for a protest. This was clearly an effort to illegally curtail the activist's first amendment rights. Activists had protested at this location numerous times before without incident. Protesters arrived at their usual spot next to the driveway and were met by a wall of police. After holding their ground for a minute or two police moved in and began physically pushing the protesters into the street. Those who were pushed to the ground were arrested. The demonstration continued
for two hours as workers exited, with numerous media outlets present. Four of the five protesters were bailed out charged with Obstructing Governmental Administration and Disorderly Conduct. The fifth - Joe Bateman -was falsely accused of Assault on a Police Officer - a typical police move following undue brutality. Joe was moved to Somerset County Jail in Sommerville, NJ, where the authorities demanded bail of $2500. Joe refused to pay. In support of the jailed activist, members of the Animal Defense League-New Jersey and In Defense of Animals , a national group based in California, held a candlelight vigil on Littlebrook Drive in front of the home of Alan Staple, president of Huntingdon Life Sciences. Staple beat a hasty retreat on the night of the vigil and even refused to give any press interviews. Before the demo on Friday, Staple was the man who gave press a guided tour of the HLS labs and was constantly in the
media spotlight. When the press questioned why the activists were demonstrating outside Staple 's home, they were only too pleased to comment: "I'm here to express my grief that 500 animals died today and each day in the name of science at Huntingdon labs throughout the world" said James Mccrory , 19, of Philadelphia. Darius Fullmer, ADL's protest organiser, said, "The animals suffering at Huntingdon's laboratory don't have the option of punching out at 5 p.m., going home and forgetting what goes on there , they live it 24 hours a day." Joe Bateman was freed from jail a few days later, when the authorities agreed to let him out for just 10% of the original bail money. When will the authorities learn that putting animal/human rights activists in jail does not achieve anything, it just makes people angry. It didn't work when they put Nelson Mandela in prison , it didn ' t work when they put Ghandi in prison. It will not work now .
THE BEAGLE STORY"/ HAVE A NAME NOT A NUMBER!" Dear Friends, The beagle story booklet has now been completed. You can purchase a copy of the booklet from Pat, 9 Tushmore Avenue, Northgate, Crawley, West Sussex, RHlO 2LF. Thirty beagle stories in all. Read about Eddy who revisited Consort to lay the ghosts to rest! The beautiful black eyed buster who loves to re-arrange the rockery. Dilly, who is sadly no longer with us, but will always live on in her owner 's heart. Tinker who came third in the Eukanuba Rescue Dog of the Year. Read about Barrie, Sabi, Darcy, Trusty, Soul and my own two beagles flame and poppy, plus many more. The booklet costs ÂŁ4.50 plus 87p p&p. Every penny from the sale of this booklet will go to SHAC (cheques to be made payable to SHAC). Buy a copy and as well as enjoying the happiness of the beagles in their loving homes you will contribute towards ending the suffering of many more. Thanks in anticipation, Pat 12
HLSShareholdersA dvingbreed? Since activists all over the country have started targeting HLS shareholders, they have been dropping like flies. At the SHAC office, we have been amazed at ho w many shareholders have sold their shares recently. It averages out at 40 every month. Some ha ve ev en sent donations and thank you letters after the y were informed about what they were investin g in. Well done to everyone who has informed a shareholder in their area what their mone y goes towards-they just needed a bit of gentle persuasion! As we have mentioned in the xenotran splant ation article, we would like you to write to them and strongly urge them to sell. The recent expose leaves any compassionate person no option but to dump their shares (whatever the price). At the time of going to press HLS 's share price stand s at a measly 6p. HLS are on the edge of a precipice. If just a few more shareholders sell , it could push them over the edge!
Act now and we can shut this hell-hole for good!
.J
r
~
C~
• To obtain a list of the HLS shareholders q,J,,. in your area visit the SHAC website ·· (www.shac.net). • If you do not have access to the internet then contact us and we can send you a copy of the list of shareholders in your area ..
Police over-react to thetune 01£250,000 The CJ.A. demo on the 19 August showed everyone the grit and determination of this campaign to close HLS once and for all. To say it was over policed was an understatement. It cost the tax payer £250,000 , involved 1,100 police officers from 12 different counties , and for what the 150 protesters that we had anticipated on the SHAC demo all along. The police scored an own goal that day!! This demo came 3 days after police raided our office and the homes of some campaign staff. That morning everyone received their newsletter and we brought more newsletters and national demo posters with us to give out to every one. We met in Huntingdon town centre and a speaker addressed the crowd to put them in the picture about recent events, and the awful state that HLS are now finding themselves in. We began to march behind the banner with drums, whistles, megaphones calling for the closure of HLS. We sent out a loud and clear message as we marched around the town centre that we are here to stay until HLS closes . As we got into the one way system near Sainsburys we had a sit down in the road for 20 minutes with more speeches. At 3pm the crowd left on a high note and did a number of home visits to workers over the next 3 hours. All the workers had a police escort on their front door. They heard what we thought of them for abusing animals for a living as we gathered outside to also let their neighbours know what line of work they are in. The day was a great success. I think the message has got ~ across to everyone. We will not be stopped and we will C.> , succeed in closing HLS. Watch this space.
"Get ready lads...here she comes. We'll get her this time, wait, she's not alone! Call for more back-up!"
~
~J,,.• The sequel to CIA, CID (Cambridge in December)
is to be held on Saturday 9th December - CID is a day of action against all forms of abuse in Cambridgeshire. Tel 0121 632 6460 for details. 13
The Huntingdon Campaign THE TillSDAY REVIEW TheIndependent
s
COMMENT
S September 2000
Those who cut up ·animals deserve a bit of harassment :EAN,A friend of mine, is writing a :hildren's book called Thomas The rearch Engine. It's the story of a •rave little piece of software lhat is ~nstantlypursued by a repressive
to gob~ ile up all of Thomas's information .oI.hathe can make the world safe or hi.$friends in the Mega Global !usiness Cotl)oration, fom e Secretary who wants
and harassment of entire oommu~ nitleS, Barry Horne, £orexample, is serting an 18-year prison term for arson. (He was foundguilty of leaving some sma ll incendiaty devices in a closed branch ofBoots). He has never knowingly harmed anybody, he has never intended to injure anybody, and yet he gets a much
time - "Animal Llb Loonies targe t type thing. A few days later;in one or tv.'Opapers, there was
pharmaceutical
companies being able to test their drugs on animals,"
a tiny paragraph tucked away at the botiom of page seven or eight saying that,.in fact, it was some c;hildren who bad pushed the drum down the
This is exactly the point in ques-. tion. Thalidomide tested safe on animals, while if aspirin or penicillin
bank for a joke . However , the im•
pression remained with most of the much harsher sentence than would publk that this action,and many others falselylaid at their door;was the work of the animal libbers . Agreat number of people find car~s animal rights activists - he the new bogeymen - so terrifying hinks they're worse than IRA that the Jawsare not sufficient to pro- ing about animals vaguely embarThe information thatJackStraw vantsto get his hands on most con•
us ourselves would not be able to lead healthy liveswere it not for the
anglers"
beCa~:~a:~c:1!:i~~
ALEXEI SAYLE
were new to the market today they wouldbe rajected as unsafe(they are poisonous to cats and hams ters). The point ·about animal testing is that it is cheap compared to more
rigorous and effective ways of test irigdrugs.Thepharmaceuticalcompanies like cheap, and the my part I hope I am not sentimen- today, it'd be rejected as GOW:rnmentis in the pocket, ii not tal - I don't feel I owe animals any;gaotic threats to the safetyof the underpants, of these companies. unsafe it1s poisondus theMr vorld In €act. animal rights activists door.There was an incident a year thing : after all, animals don't buy my Straw is using the fact that or two ago where a huge drum that books or come to my shows ( apart 1ave always been· treated very some animal rights activists have to cats and hamsters' tarShlyby the courts. • had been used for telephone cable from some chickens that cine time protested outside the homes of Whilewall-eyed sectarian killers was rolled down a river bank nar - in Southend) - but I think we, as a those labs, Mr Straw said tast week, laboratory employees and damaged rowly1missing some fishermen. It society, are morally tainted by the fls if it.was undeniable, that: "It is five cars belonging to researchers ire set free in Ireland to re;sume heir programme of intimidation wal'i front-page headlines at the appalling cruelty that goes on in bearlnginmindthat manyo( as an excuse.to widen his powers. 1ombers,does our Jack. He says he 1ccdsextra powersto take on these
tect us from them. They are very useful too in that any unexplained am of violence can be laid at their
rassing and think it sentimental Fbr
'If penicillin were new
rorth
Now lfindmyseHina bilofacleft very brave and decent. A healti1y stick on this one. On ihe one hand, democratic society needs lo be able I d on't care aboul these illegal acts. to accommodate those who fuel so I think for what they d-0vivisection- strongly about their cause that they ists deserve to be harassed , are prepared to step ~utside the law persecuted and pursued. I simply cannot understand how somebody Cfil1 chop up live creatures for a some kind of commission, staffed by living. Mutilation of animals is philosophers, learned legal minds usually seen as being the first step and ballerinas . This commission on the road to becoming a serial would deliberate on the issue1>and killet~isn't it? would then tell us exactly which However, I do understand that illegal activitiesareright andwhich one man'sterrorist is anotherman's illegal activities are absolutely, freedom fighter, not lo mention that morally wrong. Then the Govern~ one man's tandoorikeema nan is an- ment couldreally crack down on the other man's stylish minced-meat- 'Yrong ones and leave the right fillcd hat; so I am aware that people ones alone. \\~th whom I violentlydisagree (such Of course, if by somefreakofjus-. as anti-abortion activists) also think tice the verdict orthe Jllegal Activ• it is perfectly legitimate to use ities Commission went against me harassment, abuse and violence and the causes I hoiddear, I'd set fire a gainst peo ple who, _I think, arc to their building
"Just before my visit the main comp,any number had been temporarily suspended from service because of repetitive silent calls, which had overwhelmed the switchboard. The previous day, the main fax line had been similarly disabled by· the sending of black sheets of paper. This is a tactic which was employed against Hillgrove Farm cattery. It rapidly drains the ink while reducing things to a near standstill. " Daily Mail
Item HLS Leaflets HLS Poster (A2) HLS Factsheets Demo Posters Petitions Xeno Reoort (see oage 8 for details) Shareholder Posters-for flyposting in & around shareholder's areas Shareholder Leaflets-for delivering or sending to shareholder's neighbours Video: HLS - The Truth (Short) Video: HLS - The Truth (Long) Video: Countryside Undercover
Quantity
Item
Quantity
T-shirt (1) (£5 ) - state grey or black and state size (s,m,l,xl) T-Shirt (2) (£5) - black only, state size Hooded Tops (t-shirt 1 design)(£15) SmithKline Product Sticker SmithKline Product Poster-this poster is for flvoosting over SmithKline adverts SmithK.line AS Leaflet SmithK.line Phone Sticker SmithK.line A2 Poster Collecting Tins (place these in sympathetic shops to collect money for the campaign) DONATION
Name ................................................... Address .............................................................................. . ................................................... County ................................................. Post Code ........................ . Tel. ....................................................... E-mail. ............................................................................... . 14
HUNTINGDON
UF■ 8Cl■NCES LookIler In tile eye tuld tell Iler you don't awe