SHAC is an innovative campaign, and has received worldwide media coverage for the success of its methods, the intelligence of its tactics and the determination of its supporters.
SWEDISH ACTIVISTS PROTEST AGAINST ASTRAZENECA
Monday, 25th March
On Monday afternoon, Djurrattsalliansen (Animal Rights Alliance, Sweden) protested outside the HQ of AstraZeneca in Gothenburg, Sweden, to call the medical company to stop cooperating with Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). Everyday 500 animals die in the horror labs of HLS in painful and unnecessary experiments. AstraZeneca pays for, and support this suffering - a choice we will never accept.
AstraZeneca is fully aware of the animal cruelty inside HLS but they still choose to cooperate with this company. To us it is evident that AstraZeneca is just interested in financial gain and is a company incapable to make choices based on empathy and ethics. As long as AstraZeneca supports death and animal cruelty the protests will continue.
Please contact us if you would like to get involved with protests and actions, email: goteborg@djurrattsalliansen.se
No justice - just us. Smash HLS!
Djurrattsalliansen (Animal Rights Alliance, Sweden)
SAVE THE HARLAN BEAGLES MARCH IN BRIGHTON
Saturday, 9th March
Hundreds of people and plenty of beagles united on Saturday to march against Harlan.
Activists travelled from France, Belgium, Italy and various places in the UK to support the ongoing campaign to close down Harlan that breeds beagles for vivisection, who then supply vivisection labs across the world, including HLS.
The march started at Victoria Fountain and continued along the seaside and through Brighton city centre where campaigners had the chance to hand out leaflets about the dangers of animal testing and tell the public about the horrors inside Harlan.
You can find more information on: http://savetheharlanbeagles.com/
And please sign the petition here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/save-the-harlan-beagles
Until all are free and every cage is empty!
PROTESTS AGAINST ASTRAZENECA & HLS LENDER, US BANK
Friday, 8th March
Despite the rain, London activists held up placards depicting vivisection and gave speeches with megaphones outside AstraZeneca's HQ (at 2 Kingdom Street, Paddington, London W2 6BD Tel: 020 7604 8000). We called upon global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to release, for re-homing, the 100's of beagle dogs flown from Sweden to the UK.
The dogs will be subjected to cruel toxicity tests, in which they will be injected with or force-fed chemicals in increasingly higher doses, until they become sick, suffer from seizures and vomiting and/or die.
After an hour protesting, we moved to the City, where we protested outside US Bank subsidiary: US Bank Corporate Trust (at 125 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1AR, 5th Floor). US Bank facilitates the torturing and killing of 500 animals on average every day inside HLS, since US Bank has decided to extend HLS's financial lifeline with a $120 million loan.
The next and last visit was to AXA UK plc (at 5 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1AD, Tel: 0845 600 3034), a major shareholder of AstraZeneca. AXA’s investment in vivisection exhibits very little in the way of ethics. We named and shamed with details. Many employees and passers by were interested in what we had to say and wanted to know more, taking leaflets and asking questions.
SHAC London
LONDON PROTESTS CONTINUE AGAINST ANIMAL ABUSE
Friday, 1st March
SHAC activists, who met at Victoria railway station last Friday were watched from a distance by a posse of police officers.
However It didn't deter us and so off we set to our first port of call: Astrazeneca, a notorious and discredited pharmaceutical company located at 2 Kingdom Street, near Paddington.
Our strong protest was loud and informative; telling the passing public about the +300 innocent beagles deprived the right of life and freedom by callous and uncaring AstraZeneca. Many people were interested and took our leaflets. We were clearly having an impact on AstraZeneca, as our entire protest was filmed by a member of AstraZeneca security. Do we care? No! Are we embarrassed? No!
As the protest progressed, more people were joining us and we were tweeting and passing on details of our protest with other animal rights groups around the UK; 2000 people were following our movements and spurring us on.
We moved onto China Eastern Airlines, who transported 15,000 primates from breeding farms in China to North America animal labs every year. They were greatly shocked at our numbers as well as the attention we were attracting from local businesses and passers by. We left them chanting "we'll be back... we'll be back".
As luck would have it, on our way to the next animal abusing company, we came across a shop selling fur, (Evona, at 7 Thayer St London Greater London W1U 3JH. Tel: 020 7935 6080) so we couldn't resist doing a quick demo there too. We were on a roll!
As we travelled some of our group held up their posters on the underground, which attracted a lot of attention from passengers, I don't know why we haven't done this before!
And so onto US Bank Corporate Trust, a subsidiary of US Bank, which was uncovered as the latest institution to step in and provide a loan and rescue HLS from collapse. Again we left no one passing that building in any doubt as to why we were there; to name and shame US Bank, which has no problem investing in a company that tortures and kills 500 animals every single day.
By now people were leaving work and we could not keep up with people asking for leaflets, in the end we ran out completely!
We finished the day at AXA HQ, another company with no morals or scruples; a company that is well aware of what a disgusting and discredited company AstraZeneca is, but is still prepared to invest in them.
All in all a brilliant day, a day that was loud, energetic and effective. We were exhausted but it was worth it.
Thank you so much to all those who spent the day with us, we couldn't have done it without you.
As we have said before, look out all you animal abusers because "We'll be back"!
SHAC London
ASTRAZENECA PROTEST AT LUTON SITE
Thursday, 28th February
On Thursday afternoon, two activists held a 'see the workers home' demo at AstraZeneca Luton in solidarity with the dogs being transported from Sweden to AZ's Macclesfield site.
Security went into panic mode with shouts of 'lock the doors!' Some workers wouldn't even leave without a security escort to their cars! Police eventually arrived and the activists stood on the road at the exit to the carpark and told the AZ staff what they thought of them as they left work.
These type of demos are a great way to impact upon staff morale – no one wants to be shouted at after a long day at work! Anyone can do this – have a spare moment? Find another person and head to your nearest animal abuser and give them hell!
Video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=134304513411496
PROTESTS AGAINST AIR FRANCE IN ARGENTINA
21st & 27th February
We are aware of the news coming from Europe, that animals will no longer be used for cosmetic's tests, but we do not understand why would people make a difference between cosmetic's tests and medical, scientific tests. They are all equally abusive, all equally useless and even dangerous for human beings. There are enough alternative methods of testing the products and the medicine.
The days 21st and 27th of February we made protests against Air France, in front of the building they have an office in. Because they are one of a very few airlines that still transport animals to their deaths in torture laboratories across the world.
Many people were interested in the protests and we handed out more than a thousand pamphlets to the passers-by.
Until all are free and all cages are empty
SHAC Argentina
A DAY OF PROTESTS IN LONDON AGAINST BARBARIC ANIMAL ABUSE
Friday, 22nd February
We started our protests outside the US Bank subsidiary: US Bank Corporate Trust (at 125 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1AR, 5th Floor),
chanting slogans such as "US Bank Corporate Trust, animal killers", "US
Bank Corporate Trust, human killers”. A man pushed the activist who was
giving a speech on the megaphone. We split into two groups protesting
at both entrances of the building with megaphones. A security person
came outside the building and said: ‘Hey guys, you can’t do that…’ we
replied ‘Sorry sir. Yes, we can’, and he offered us a cup of tea!! His
offer left us speechless. It was a really cold day. It was snowing.
Next visit was to Axa HQ on Old Broad Street, who are located on the same street as US Bank Corporate Trust. Axa are a major shareholder of AstraZeneca, who killed nearly 400,000 animals in cruel and unnecessary experiments last year and are presently moving 'surplus' beagles from Sweden to the UK to be experimeted on. Axa stopped investing in anti-personnel mines in 2006.
We asked them to stop investing in animal torture once and for all, as
they had done with anti-personnel mines. Passers by were very
supportive, patting our shoulders and saying ‘good on you’ and ‘thank
you very much’.
Our 3rd target was China Eastern Airlines (at 37-39 George Street, London W1U 3QD). When we arrived, they locked the doors. We named and shamed them for transporting 15,000 primates each year, flown from breeding farms in China to animal labs in North America, including HLS in New Jersey. We urged them to place a permanent ban on the transportation of all primates. After half an hour protesting, the police arrived. Fortunately, none of the neighbours had complained about our protest and it had been China Eastern Airlines who called them.
Our last protest was outside the Japanese Embassy (at 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1J 7JT, Tel: 020 7465 6500) where we joined the dozens of beautiful people who were protesting against the inhumane killing of dolphins in Taiji, Southern Japan.
Those who torture animals, eat burgers, wear leather/fur are not ready for animal liberation, but the animals are ready, and we will not let them down.
Until every cage is empty!
HLS CUSTOMER, ASTRAZENECA HAS PROTEST NEAR PARIS
Friday, 15th February
A dozen activists gathered in front of AstraZeneca's headquarters near Paris. Before we even started, a worker was trying to take pictures of the protesters with a mocking smile.
A neighbour told us that AstraZeneca were saying that we were tired and that we would stop protests at their doors (before the campaign against Air France we used to give them regular visits for the SHAC campaign).
We made a point by shouting out that we haven't forgotten them and that we will be back soon if they send the beagles to HLS.
A banner with "Cette entreprise gagne de l'argent sur la souffrance animale" ( = This company makes money out of the suffering of animals) written on it got the attention of many passers-by, a lot of leaflets were given out and many people showed us their support and were very concerned about the situation.
The workers complained about the noise we were making. How can someone complain about a few hours of chants and speeches through a megaphone while animals are living dreadful lives of suffering and pain in vivisection laboratories?
We were there for two reasons. First to show our support to the campaign happening at the moment in Sweden to save the lives of the dogs likely to be send to HLS or another vivisection laboratory. But we were also there to insist on the fact that they had to stop torturing animals for their drugs and cut their ties with HLS once and for all.
Until all are free and every cage is empty!
WHO ARE HLS?
In this section you will find out
about who Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) are, where they are, how they
have been caught abusing animals and comitting fraud. You can also view
shocking video footage and photographs taken inside HLS by undercover
workers and journalists.
Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) are the largest contract testing
laboratory in Europe. They have about 70,000 animals on site, including
rabbits, cats, hamsters, dogs, guinea-pigs, birds and monkeys. These
animals are destined to suffer and die in cruel, useless experiments.
HLS will test anything for anybody. They carry out experiments
which involve poisoning animals with household products, pesticides,
drugs, herbicides, food colourings and additives, sweeteners and
genetically modified organisms. Every three minutes an animal dies
inside Huntingdon totaling 500 innocent lives every single day.
Huntingdon Life Sciences is the most exposed laboratory in the
world. In recent years they have been infiltrated and exposed at least
seven separate times for disgusting animal cruelty and rule breaking.
Each time horrific evidence of animal abuse and staff incompetence has
been uncovered, including workers punching beagle puppies in the face.
On this website you will find information about Huntingdon Life
Sciences, who they are, who their supporters are and most importantly
how you can get involved to have this disgrace of a company closed down.
HUNTINGDON RESEARCH CENTRE (HRC)
Huntingdon Life Sciences
Woolley Road
Alconbury
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE28 4HS
UK
Tel: 01480 892 000
Fax: 01480 892 205
E-mail: sales@ukorg.huntingdon.com
Click here for Google Maps location.
EYE RESEARCH CENTRE (ERC)
Huntingdon Life Sciences
Barric Lane
Occold
Suffolk
IP23 7PX
UK
Tel: 01379 644 122
Fax: 01379 678 034
Email: sales@ukorg.huntingdon.com
Click here for Google Maps location.
PRINCETON RESEARCH CENTRE (PRC)
Huntingdon Life Sciences
100
Mettlers Road
East Millstone
New Jersey
NJ 08873
USA
Tel: 001 732 873 2550
Fax: 001 732 873 8513
Email: sales@princeton.huntingdon.com
Click here for Live Maps' Bird's Eye View.
Life Science Research Inc
320 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Tel: 001 410 659-0620
Click here for Live Maps' Bird's Eye View.
Life Sciences Research Inc
401 Hackensack Avenue, Floor 9,
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Tel: 001 210 525-1819
Click here for Live Maps' Bird's Eye View.
INTRODUCTION TO SHAC
The campaign Stop Huntingdon
Animal Cruelty (SHAC) was set up at the end of 1999 by a group of
activists who had successfully closed down lab animal breeders, Consort
kennels and Hillgrove cat farm. Both of these campaigns ended with the
businesses closing down and hundreds of animals being safely rehomed
instead of tortured in laboratories.
In 1996 SHAC started a campaign against Consort kennels near
Hereford. Over eight hundred beagles were kept at the kennels waiting to
be sold to labs like Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS).
The campaign was intense, involving daily demonstrations,
national demonstrations and regular all night vigils. During the
campaign three rescue operations took place seeing 26 beagles go free to
safe and loving homes. After just ten months of campaigning they could
take no more pressure and the kennels closed in July 1997. A total of
200 beagles were successfully rehomed following the closure.
To strike a sombre note we must never forget that it was
Huntingdon Life Sciences who bought all the breeding beagles from
Consort before they closed.
In September 1997 the campaign moved swiftly against the last
remaining UK breeder of cats for vivisection, Hillgrove farm near
Witney, Oxfordshire run by the obnoxious Christopher and Katherine
Brown. Hillgrove sold kittens worldwide for experiments from ten days
old and held over 1,000 cats in windowless sheds at the back of the
farm. The scale of the campaign really begun to take off at this point
seeing many demonstrations at the farm and the city centre of Oxford.
After unbelievable pressure Hillgrove buckled and closed after
an 18 month campaign in August 1999. It was headline news all around the
world as over 800 cats were rescued from the farm and rehomed on the
night of August 12th 1999.
The most important lesson from all these campaigns is to
remember that all those animals would still be inside Consort and
Hillgrove if we had waited for politicians to act. The lesson is that if
we really want these hell holes to close then we have got to do it
ourselves - action is what it is all about. We have to fight to win.
Following these victories we launched a global campaign against
Europe's largest animal testing facility, Huntingdon Life Sciences. We
hope that you will join us in this fight to free the 70,000 animals
locked inside waiting to die.
SHAC is an innovative campaign, and has received worldwide media
coverage for the success of its methods, the intelligence of its
tactics and the determination of its supporters.
Two million members of the public have signed a petition to have
HLS closed, thousands have protested and we can prove that HLS are
responsible for animal cruelty and lawbreaking over and over again.
During one study involving wild caught primates, HLS broke the law over
520 times. The Government have failed to close HLS so it is up to each
and everyone of us to close them down.
SHAC is an international campaign, and the first of its kind,
with SHAC groups in the UK, USA, France, Holland, Germany, Italy,
Switzerland, and many other countries all uniting to target HLS and the
companies that support them globally.
SHAC is made up of compassionate people from all walks of life
and people of all ages from children to pensioners. All of us are
outraged at the existence of HLS and all of us are doing as much as we
can to make sure that this evil company is closed down for good.
SHAC takes a three tier approach, campaigning against customers
who provide HLS with an income and profits; suppliers who provide HLS
with vital tools to carry out research and financial links such as
shareholders, market makers and banking facilities. SHAC has called on a
mass boycott of HLS and is calling on all companies that do business
with Huntingdon to turn their backs on animal cruelty. If you are happy
to pay for, or profit from the cruelty HLS inflict on innocent animals
then you are just as much responsible as the vivisectors themselves.
This is where SHAC supporters play a vital role. Many companies
working with HLS may not be aware of their history of animal cruelty,
falsified data and negligence, so by taking part in letter writing,
email campaigns and peaceful protests calling on the boycott of HLS you
can bring the issue to their attention. Many companies have already
vowed not to deal with HLS thanks to SHACtavists around the world.
We all have an important role to play, so please join us and help close down HLS!
