200 march in Napier against animal testing
About 200 people marched through central Napier as part of a weekend of animal rights activity in Hawkes Bay over the weekend. The march was part of as weekend of action against a local animal testing laboratory that uses beagles in research.
About 200 people marched through central Napier as part of a weekend of animal rights activity in Hawkes Bay over the weekend. Around 50 dogs of all shapes and sizes joined in the march around the Napier shopping district on Saturday afternoon.
Animal rights activists from Save Animals From Exploitation and the Save the Beagles Campaign joined forces for a weekend of events aimed at exposing cruel experiments on companion animals, and specifically the beagle experiments carried out by local company, the Valley Animal Research Centre (VARC).
As we set up the stalls and prepared for the afternoon concert at the Soundshell many locals and their dogs started to appear. Then Margeret Harkema, director of VARC, and wife of vivisector Allen Goldenthal, turned up and wandered around ranting about we were all 'idiots' and trying to provoke a disturbance by shouting and scaring children and families. Police were called and escorted Margaret away from the park and told her not to come back for the rest of the day.
At 1pm, the crowd formed up behind the banners and we marched off down the main street of Napier. It was a very impressive march with loads of banners and signs, with about 200 people and fifty dogs. Leaflets were handed out to passersby and speakers described what was going on at the local animal testing lab.
Back at the Soundshell, several speakers addressed the crowd. Green MP Sue Kedgely, SAFE campaigner Hans Kriek and Save the Beagles spokesperson Mark Eden spoke about the cruelty of animal testing and urged the crowd to get involved in the campaign against animal testing and specifically against dog experiments at the Valley Animal Research Centre.
The plan was for an open air concert to continue until early evening with stalls, food and entertainers, but a freak hailstorm hit Napier and blew us away, forcing the cancellation of the concert. All the entertainers played later that night at a local bar and a good time was had by all.
On Sunday, The Save the Beagles campaign held a meeting and information day at a local hall. 30 locals came along and listened to speakers, watched videos and ate vegan cake while plotting and planning for future events. After the meeting we all decided to make a surprise visit to the Whakatu Kennels where Allen Goldenthal and Margeret Harkema breed beagles for use in experiments. We found a brand new 6 foot metal fence surrounded the entire property. It must have cost them a bit of money but it totally failed to keep us out (bits seem to come off it and bend when pushed, must have been weakened by the hailstorm eh!). Protesters pushed past the gate and lone security guard and proceeded to have a good look around, we photographed and filmed the beagles, in their kennels, discovered a room with laboratory equipment and another room full of empty cages waiting for animals to be put into them.
Then this idiot who appeared to live on the property came running out swearing and yelling. He kicked one woman and started to throw rocks at people. He seemed to slightly calm down when our cameras started recording his assaults and the lab security guard pulled him back.
We decide to leave at that point as we had achieved a short but noisy protest, breached the security and obtained valuable photos and film footage of the animals. As we left we saw about five police cars and one prison van zooming into the lab for some strange reason (maybe they wanted to arrest the guy throwing rocks at us). We left them to it and enjoyed more cake and coffee at a Hastings café before saying our goodbyes and all heading home after a great weekend. we will be back.
FEATURE ARTICLE WITH LOADS OF PHOTOS OF THE MARCH, CONCERT, PUBLIC MEETING AND PROTEST AT THE WHAKATU KENNELS WILL BE ON WWW.MEATFREEMEDIA.COM SHORTLY! KEEP YOUR EYES PEALED ON THE SITE!
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Comments
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Lol dont you just love it when fences break at strangely appropriate moments :)
Good on everyone involved :)
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
proud of you!! what a disgusting display from M Harkema ,but would you expect from a animal abuser
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Awesome protest. Thanks for speaking for those of us who cant be there because of where we live. That is at least me.
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz has a story on their website about this now,please take the time to send a letter to the editor(you can do this on the website)in support of the campaign and inform readers that vivisection is not only cruel but bad for humans as well.
www.curedisease.net
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Margaret was not pushed to the ground! She was being aggressive and confrontational towards the public which had turned up to support the event.
Animal rights people called the police because of her behaviour. Police turned up and escorted her away from the demonstration telling her not to return.
Letters to the editor
http://www.hbtoday.co.nz/info/letters/
Tempers flare over animal rights views
Hawkes Bay Today
21.04.2008
Police were called in to put a stop to violence on Marine Parade on Saturday when activists protesting against animal testing were confronted by an opposing protester.
Margaret Harkema, the wife of local scientist Dr Allen Goldenthal, from Valley Animal Research Centre, said she was verbally abused and pushed to the ground as she handed out flyers promoting the benefits of animal testing.
"If there is no animal research, there is no cure," Mrs Harkema said.
The flyers depicted a girl who was recovering from cancer therapy teamed with a message about the cures that could be discovered thanks to animal research.
"The situation got very aggressive. I was pushed, intimidated and sworn at. It was scary but if I had to stand alone I would."
About 150 supporters of SAFE, Save Animals From Experiments, hit the streets of Napier's central business district to campaign against animal testing.
Campaign director Hans Kriek said he was thrilled with the turnout and the display of enthusiasm to close laboratories like Dr Goldenthal's, where beagles are used for testing for national and international companies, governments and universities.
"There is certainly a strong presence in Napier which is going to be important for our fight to close places like that down," Mr Kriek said.
"People were really into the cause and certainly made a strong statement."
The SAFE activists had loud signs and louder voices as the crusade walked to the Sound Shell on Marine Parade.
Victoria Girling-Butcher, frontwoman for Lucid3, was meant to headline the outdoor concert that followed the march but due to a hail storm, the concert was called off. Indie/folk artist from Christchurch Flip Grater was the only singer who managed to get stage time.
Girling-Butcher performed for the crowd at Latinos in Napier later that night, however, along with the Raggamuffin Children from Christchurch and local talent Daniel Munro.
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Cool stuff. 200 people can do a lot - remember that, all those of you out there who have apathy as your default setting.
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
If this is really about saving the beagles why not liberate them from their abuse?
http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/75183/index.php
Direct action saves lifes!
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
wow...if you could see the big smile i got on....thats totally awesome stuff!
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
I sent the following letter to the editor, which I will share in case anyone wants to write something similar. I was not at the demo, so can't comment on the differences between Margaret's account and the demonstrators. However, I would encourage those who were there to point out the truth in their own letter.
Vivisection kills humans
Margaret Harkema is being quite disingenious in stating so categorically that animal experimentation is necessary to cure cancer. To start with, most experiments in New Zealand are not medical in nature, but concerned with making more money for farmers. The many differences at the celllular and molecular level, also make extrapolation from animals to humans useless. Differences in the way tumours are developed in rats and humans for example, mean that leading cancer resarchers now realise the futility of animal testing.
Animal testing is unimaginably cruel, and it is only because they have been misled about the benefits that people still tolerate it. It is time to realise that it is bad science as well. Not only that, by wasting precious resources on animal tests, we are not addressing the root causes of cancer such as diet and environmental chemicals. People are dying as a result.
Phil
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
It is sad to see these dogs been sacrificed so Safe can have another publicity stunt. Safe suxs!!!
http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/75187/index.php
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
i sent a letter also ,i was not there but i would never believe anything a vivisector says ,they truly are low!
PHOTOS/VIDEO OF BEAGLE WEEKEND OF ACTION!
Meat Free Media have a short highlight video of day 1 of the Napier weekend of action that just took place recently. From the Meat Free Media
front page you can get to the video, and from there you can get to photos and a write up of the weekend.
Video of day 2 (demonstration at Valley Animal
Research Centre's breeding facility) will be up very soon.
Get the video at http://www.meatfreemedia.com
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
It was really unfortunate that “enlightened” animal rights people were involve in the violence in Napier recently. How does verbally abusing someone and pushing them to the ground fit into the teachings of compassion and respect that is animal rights? All what they were doing was handing out leaflets about the “benefits” of animal testing for misguided medical reasons of which 99.99% gets trashed. Just because one out of about 200 says no to animal rights there is no need for aggression. All what this type of action shows is how a few have deluded themselves into believing just because they think they are morally right it is okay to push others around. Is this ethical? For those who think so are no better than browbeaters.
If people involve in animal rights were really serious about saving these beagles from their suffering and doom then they would just go and liberate them instead of walking the streets complaining about it, getting into a street brawl, nag in front of the concentration camp where the dogs are kept and then have a fundraising exercise/publicity stunt in the form of a concert.
It is all most disappointing!
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Whadda hell is a Beagle? Do you have any photos of it?
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
excuse me ,I was there and in no way was M Harkema pushed or abused it was HER that was escorted from the site for abusing people and making a disturbance she also scared the hell out of my 5 yr old niece who was carrying a small "I love animals sign" so please do not believe everything you read in the papers
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
"Whadda hell is a Beagle? Do you have any photos of it?"
A beagle is one of the most intelligent and friendly canine companions you can meet. I had the privilege to know two of them. Photos on Previous AIMC Coverage.
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Well, it sounds like the beagles are more intelligent than the rubbish proliferated in here. What a waste of space, don't you people have anything better to do?
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
It’s sad to see Safe willing to sacrifice these dogs for their money making purpose and encouraging street fighting.
http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/75187/index.php
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
cool..but wouldve been nice to hear that you d actually liberated the beagles rather than made just a prison visit..but tea n cake and hanging out with MPs is much more safer existence..
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
as is sitting on the internet criticising ppl who are trying to do something ,i look forward to hearing about your actions,if you can tear yourself away from the comp
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
It’s sad to see Safe is willing to sacrifice these animals for their money making purpose and encouraging street fighting.
http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/75183/index.php
http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/75187/index.php
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
The next time you are inclined to believe a vivisector, remember that anyone who is capable of vivisecting is certainly not above lying. Lying is a fairly minor sin compared with torturing sentient beings for profit.
Phil
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Are dogs sentient? I thought the latest measurement for sentience is the ability to do abstract mathematics and since there is no evidence that dogs can do this then they aren’t considered to be sentient by humans. In any case, I believe that experimenting on any animal, let them be sentient or otherwise, is highly stupid because medical experiments on them don’t work because of the genetic differences. Then there is the ethical argument of asking permission to do experiments on the animals. I’m sure if any animal that could give consent WOULDN’T, just like the majority of humans don’t give consent to being experimented on.
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Violence has always been a part of the AR underbelly.
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
oh really ,the AR movement does NOT use violence ,vivisectors and their ilk do though
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
Margaret Harkema is a liar and a dangerous lunatic
Re: 200 march in Napier against animal testing
"I thought the latest measurement for sentience is the ability to do abstract mathematics."
And all this time I thought I was sentient? Guess not, hah.