The following are two reports sent to us by New York campaigners. Of particular interest is the good reception they received from many of those attending the reception. Of even greater interest is the fact the only abuse they received was from a professor of Brasenose College. Some things never change. Campaigners in Oxford have had to put up with abuse and attacks from some university staff on a regular basis. Even 70 year old protestors have been attacked. Now the university are employing ex-special forces operates in an attempt intimidate us.
Well, we have news for you, Oxford University - your abuse and your attacks only make us stronger. The more you attack us the more determined we become. Nothing you do will prevent us from being a 'Voice for the Animals'!
In solidarity with SPEAK
WAR works to stop the building of the Oxford Animal Testing Laboratory.
On Friday, March 31 st , Oxford Alumni traveled from throughout the North American continent to attend their Alumni Reunion at the posh Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The University and Alumni Association had warned conference attendees that there would be protestors both at the Waldorf and at off-site conference events and activities.
Click on image to enlargeActivists held signs at this peaceful demonstration showing pictures of the primates, cats and dogs and other animals that are representative of the animals that will be housed and then used in cruel and inhumane experiments, if the building of the lab is completed.
Rather than loud chanting, alumni were greeted by smiling friendly faces and an attractive, well-stocked literature table. The head of the Alumni Association, various Oxford Professors and at least one of the University's Resource Development Managers visited our display.
Many of the alumni stopped by our literature table and chatted amicably with about two dozen activists and many expressed their support of our cause. They signed our petition and promised to speak to the Alumni Association and to their Alma Mater, University of Oxford, to voice their disapproval of the building of the lab. Over and over, alumni told us, that they were pleased that we were there and that they were happy to have the information we provided, to balance what they were being told by the University.
NYPD Officers from the Midtown North Precinct were easy to work with and even dispensed with the regular barriers that they typically erect to separate demonstrators from the public. This allowed us better and more direct access to conference goers and enabled us to more effectively outreach into the community.
In solidarity with SPEAK:
WAR educates Oxford Alumni and promotes alternatives to animal testing
The second day of the North American Oxford University Alumni Association conference [1st April] in New York City began with a confrontation with the haughty and arrogant management of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. In the absence of police presence, Waldorf management tried to strong-arm activists into limiting their presence at the Waldorf's main entrance. After a tense confrontation on the street, NYPD officers arrived and stood up for WARs rights to be on the public sidewalk which the Waldorf had previously claimed that they "owned".
Click on image to enlargeFor the entire day, WAR manned an exhibit display and literature table while dozens of activists held graphic posters and circulated through the crowd with clipboards to secure petition signatures. It was especially delightful to converse with so many British and Canadian Oxford Alumni and to find that many have strong feelings against the building of the animal lab.
At the end of the day, a Professor from Brasenose came along and sputtered and spewed a venomous attack against us. He was the ONLY one to complain about our presence and who clearly was a supporter of the building of the lab. His antagonistic and hostile behavior was totally out of place and even his fellows from Oxford looked at him like he had lost his mind.
Post conference addendum: After a full day of protest and educational outreach, WAR activists decided to attend some of the Alumni breakout dinners. One group traveled to LaGrezia, the Italian restaurant that has in past years, regularly hosted the Corpus Christi Reunion Dinner. The maitre d' told activists that this year, for the first time ever, their dinner had been canceled at the very last minute.
The other WAR contingent had a more successful engagement. They attended the dinner of Exeter College, which was at the 5 Star Italian restaurant Cellini. The literature table was set up at the restaurant's front door and not only did we speak to Exeter grads but also to the Alumni of Balliol College, Pembroke College & Trinity College, who were traveling past Cellini to their reunion dinner at the University Club.
Cellini management was gracious and hospitable. The owner had been concerned when he received a call from the Oxford Alumni Association questioning security and notifying him that there would likely be a protest on the evening of the dinner. When the owner saw that the protest was peaceful and not in the least confrontational, the owner delivered 4 portions of heavenly, al dente angel hair pasta in basil tomato sauce (without cheese of course) to the hungry demonstrators.
A perfect ending to a productive weekend of outreach and an equally perfect launch to the first day of April, the month we focus on animals in laboratories culminating in World Week for Liberation of Laboratory Animals.
