Open letter of complaint to the Cheltenham Science Festival organisers.

An open letter to the organisers of the Cheltenham Science Festival.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to complain regarding the ill treatment of a number of my colleagues on Friday 8th June during a talk at the Science Festival by Tipu Aziz and Mary Baker on Deep Brain Stimulation.

I hope you might agree that asking questions and engaging in debate is a healthy social conduct that should be encouraged, especially to the 16,000 students and members of the public that attend the Cheltenham Science Festival.

If this is the case I find myself wondering why those who attended on behalf of Dr Claude Reiss PHD (a Parkinson’s researcher from France) were forcibly ejected from the hall after waiting patiently to ask reasonable questions to Aziz?

At one point I saw a member of your staff tell security to apprehend a person MID QUESTION!

Please can you explain why you felt the need to silence these people and their questions? They were asked what their questions were and they responded in a polite manner.

Here is the first question asked by someone whom attended.

“The Oxford Student, 21st Jan 2007, contained an article in which you state: “I was central to discovering the Subthalamic nucleus as a target for Deep Brain Stimulation”. However, according to neurosurgeon Dr Marius Maxwell, the first paper published on the role of the STN did not involve you at all, but Bergman, Wichmann, DeLong. Science 249 (4979) 1436-8,1990 Sep 21.

Here is what the author of our leaflet, Dr Claude Reiss, has to say about this area: “Although it is true that the application of Deep Brain Stimulation to the subthalamic nucleus has been suggested by experiments in MPTP monkeys, the application of Deep Brain Stimulation to PD sufferers was rapidly promoted following the discovery of the Benabid team, through human surgery. There is no doubt that the benefit of subthalamic nucleus stimulation would have been have been found without monkey experiments”.

At this point Mary Baker decided to interrupt. “Do you actually have a question??”. – She wasn’t rude enough to interrupt any non animal research related questions.

“Yes – Given all of the above, how can you justify the vast research grants which continue to divert funds towards monkeys, instead of human patients”?

And what was Tipu Aziz’s response to this question?

“Yes”

Here is the second question asked by an anti vivisectionist during the allotted “question time”.

“On the BBC’s recent documentary “Monkeys Rats and Me”, with reference to Felix, the macaque monkey, you said, and I quote: pain “is not part of the process of my research”. However Oxford University has disclosed that your research has been classified in the most severe category – substantial – which involves “significant morbidity”, a “major departure from the animals’ usual wellbeing”, and welfare that is “seriously compromised”, as defined by the Guidance on the Operation of the ASPA 1986. Can you explain this apparent contradiction and how do you respond to the charge that you are incapable of fulfilling…”

At this point a member of your staff points at the activist mid question and police and security move towards him.

“…the duties of a licence holder because you are incapable of recognising the adverse effects suffered by Felix, and others, in your experiments.”

He finishes his question and is lifted to his feet by two security.

Tipu Aziz’ response was “I research Parkinson’s, not pain”.

I am saddened that the Science Festival does not welcome those who oppose animal research yet welcome funding from companies such as Pfizer who are due to enter court for using third world children in clinical trials which resulted in a number of deaths after they were given experimental drugs. Tipu Aziz who is a “scientist” who partakes in flawed animal research in order to keep the research grants flowing, Colin Blakemore of the Medical Research Council who shot to notoriety after being filmed sewing kittens eyes shut from birth, QinetiQ who use animals to test their human killing war devices.

The list goes on, this leads me to think that the festival will accept money from literally anyone regardless of the human, animal or environmental cost.

These companies that have together taken so many lives and caused so much ecological destruction you welcome with open arms to talk to the future adults whilst preventing any other viewpoint from being expressed.

Please attempt to use your conscience when planning the next Science Festival, maybe you could invite those involved with developing life saving techniques using humans instead of those who have cured the most mice of cancer.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email,

Chris – Gloucestershire Animal Action

Cheltenham Science Festival, Tipu Aziz and the Orwellian nightmare come true!

Friday, June 08, 2007

Cheltenham Science Festival, Tipu Aziz and the Orwellian nightmare come true!

Around twenty activists ranging from human and animal rights advocates to the anti arms trade contingent attended a demonstration against the Cheltenham Science Festival on Friday 8th June, amongst the protesters, representatives of Dr Claude Reiss PHD who is a top Parkinson’s researcher from France.

The police presence was very prominent (around 40 police officers). before the demonstration had started a few activists were followed and filmed by police whilst sitting in the town centre this included a young girl of around 6-7 years of age who wanted to hold the placard up and show people, she was then followed when she tried to leave by an officer with video camera at the dismay of her parents.

It was made clear from the outset that the demonstration was to focus on human science and medical facts as the case against research using animals and Tipu Aziz’s role in the development of DBS is solid scientifically. So no pictures of animals were displayed during the demonstration. Gloucestershire Animal Action focused on issues relating to the main festival sponsor Pfizer’s illegal clinical trials using third world children to test experimental drugs and the fact that millions are put into animal research whist hospitals are shutting due to NHS cutbacks.

Twelve tickets in total were purchased for Tipu Aziz’s talk and after much fuss the management decided they would let us in only after rigorous searching from police and security staff who took literally every item out and confiscated water, leaflets and various other items which presumably might cause a problem during the talk.

A representative of Dr Reiss PHD took to the stage just before the speakers entered the arena, the crowd looked on as she introduced herself on behalf of Dr Reiss whom couldn’t attend the festival, she then started to tell the crowd that we were there to oppose Aziz’s supposed role in the research and discovery of the Subthalamic Nucleus and the DBS technique, she had barely finished her sentence when she was literally picked up off the floor by a member of the private security and taken out of the building, not before asking members of the public to take a leaflet on the way out. One activist tried to intervene only to be told by an undercover police officer to “shut the f**k up”.

The talk started with Mary Baker from the Parkinson’s Disease Association introducing the other speakers Tipu Aziz and patient Mike Robins and Martin Westall who’s daughter can now walk thanks to deep brain stimulation.

Aziz took to the stage first and spoke for ten minutes without mentioning his research one bit, purely telling the audience how the technique works in humans. He was shortly followed by Mike Robins who referred to Aziz as a “god”. Martin Westall then took to the stage and gave a moving account of how his wife and daughter were given their lives back by DBS.

The hall was the handed over to the crowd for questions, Aziz was then unlucky enough to give the first question to an activist from Gloucestershire Animal Action who asked the following question:

“The Oxford Student, 21st Jan 2007, contained an article in which you state: “I was central to discovering the Subthalamic nucleus as a target for Deep Brain Stimulation”. However, according to neurosurgeon Dr Marius Maxwell, the first paper published on the role of the STN did not involve you at all, but Bergman, Wichmann, DeLong. Science 249 (4979) 1436-8,1990 Sep 21.

Here is what the author of our leaflet, Dr Claude Reiss, has to say about this area: “Although it is true that the application of Deep Brain Stimulation to the subthalamic nucleus has been suggested by experiments in MPTP monkeys, the application of Deep Brain Stimulation to PD sufferers was rapidly promoted following the discovery of the Benabid team, through human surgery. There is no doubt that the benefit of subthalamic nucleus stimulation would have been have been found without monkey experiments”.

At this point Mary Baker decided to interrupt. “Do you actually have a question??”. – She wasn’t rude enough to interrupt any non animal research related questions.

“Yes – Given all of the above, how can you justify the vast research grants which continue to divert funds towards monkeys, instead of human patients”?

And what was Tipu Aziz’s response to this question?

“Yes”

You don’t have to be a Neurosurgeon to realise that you cannot answer a question which starts “How” with the word “Yes”.

Activist: “Are you not going to answer my question?”

At this point Mary Baker tells the activist “I’m sure Professor Aziz will be glad to answer your question after the talk”.

The questions continue when a member of the audience not with the anti vivisection group asked “Is it really necessary to test on animals?” to which Aziz replies “Not in its entirety”… By now Aziz is looking nervous and on edge touching his face and moustache looking very uncomfortable.

More questions are asked by the audience regarding various other areas of DBS including its other applications and the cost (which is very high – maybe if research grants were available to researchers using human patients it might be more widely available and more cost effective).

The next question was asked by another member of the anti vivisection group and none of us expected what happened next.

“On the BBC’s recent documentary “Monkeys Rats and Me”, with reference to Felix, the macaque monkey, you said, and I quote: pain “is not part of the process of my research”. However Oxford University has disclosed that your research has been classified in the most severe category – substantial – which involves “significant morbidity”, a “major departure from the animals’ usual wellbeing”, and welfare that is “seriously compromised”, as defined by the Guidance on the Operation of the ASPA 1986. Can you explain this apparent contradiction and how do you respond to the charge that you are incapable of fulfilling…”

At this point a member of the Cheltenham Festival points at the activist mid question and police and security move towards him.

“…the duties of a licence holder because you are incapable of recognising the adverse effects suffered by Felix, and others, in your experiments.”

He finishes his question and is lifted to his feet by two security.

Tipu Aziz’ response was “I research Parkinson’s, not pain”.

The activist is then dragged from the hall he shouts “Fraud!” as he is manhandled. Outside he is asked for his name and address, he refuses point blank (he had not committed a crime and had no obligation to give his details.) he is then arrested and taken to Cheltenham Police station and charged with a “section 50″ offence.

The questions are rounded off by Mary Baker and an activist attending his first demonstration attempts to ask a final question and is forcibly removed, the first activist asks Baker and Aziz, why they are physically having anyone removed who opposes their research. No comments. They are escorted from the room.

Outside, the crowd from the Aziz talk are taking leaflets and talking with activists about the shocking treatment of the individuals inside. A member of Gloucestershire Animal Action approaches the undercover police officer who told him to “shut the f*** up” with Dictaphone in pocket asks for his police number in order to make a complaint which he declines to give (this is illegal).

Friday was a fantastic day for the anti vivisection movement, which saw Tipu Aziz stumped by activists which no previous experience with debate or public speaking. It also proved the lengths at which the vivisection industry and its supporters are willing to go in order to prevent the public debate they say that we are incapable of engaging in.

Orwell from fiction to non fiction.

Chris

Five month investigation leads to chicken rescue by Gloucestershire animal activists

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Five month investigation leads to chicken rescue by Gloucestershire animal activists.

Five months ago activists from Gloucestershire Animal Action learned of a farm in Gloucester which had been visited by DEFRA after the rotting carcasses of chickens and pigs were left causing a stench which had affected the local community. Local press covered the incident in which the farm owner had claimed that around one hundred animals die per week at the facility. Activists visited the farm at Little Witcombe in Gloucester with the intention of documenting the conditions in which the animals were housed which has resulted in the deaths of so many animals. With our investigation footage we hope to highlight the reality of modern non caged “barn” egg businesses to show that free-range and barn eggs are in no way a guarantee that your food is ethically produced in many cases barn egg systems are worse than battery cage systems and if you wish to be a truly ethical person you really need to go vegan. The government has maintained that veganism is a very healthy way to live, you can almost half your carbon footprint in most cases and you can live a cruelty free lifestyle knowing that no animals or humans are being exploited for your diet! The following is the account from one activist involved in the investigation:

“We entered one of the long sheds which hadn’t been secured properly late one evening, making sure to protect the animals inside we disinfected our feet and clothing before entering. To be honest I was expecting to have to search for animals in a bad condition but the reality was it was more difficult to find animals that looked healthy, maybe one in fifteen chickens weren’t in a bad condition. The air was acrid and filled with ammonia and dust particles and the fans didn’t seem to be working properly. The worker chart on the wall had said that 6 deaths had occurred in one day in a single shed and there are fourteen sheds on the farm. It would seem that this is the norm for a facility that holds more than 70,000 chickens.”

During the following months the activists returned to check the conditions which didn’t seem to be improving. After sufficient evidence had been gathered in order to highlight the plight of the hens inside a collective decision was made by those involved that we would attempt to rescue and give veterinary care to a small amount of the chickens (Thirteen in total).

The rescue took place during the early hours of a warm night in May, three activists entered a barn with animal carriers and recording equipment, footage was recorded and photos taken, the animals were then carefully loaded into animal carriers and into a converted laundry bag, they were then transported to a house for the night for food and water. The next morning they were taken to live out their lives at a sanctuary. It should be remembered that these animals have never experienced sunlight or fresh air and to see these intelligent creatures being given a chance to live with real food and fresh water in fantastic conditions brought those involved to tears. We can only hope that the remaining thousands of animals and billions of animals breed each year for our animal diet experience the same luxury one day.

Gloucestershire Animal Action are a peaceful group of individuals, we consider our actions to be totally justified and are willing to accept any repercussions as a result of our actions. During our visits we saw no signs which indicated that the property was private. We are aware that we have caused damage to a lock on the farm during our last visit and we will be sending a payment to cover the cost of replacing the lock however we will not be paying for the chickens taken. We however welcome donations via our website towards transportation costs and vet bills.

Note: The activists wear face coverings during the rescue to prevent identification this is for personal safety and to protect their freedom, animal activists have been imprisoned for years after rescuing animals from facilities such as this one.

For information about Gloucestershire Animal Action you can visit the Gloucestershire Animal Action website at http://www.stopanimalcruelty.co.uk/ or you can watch the full video of the rescue online via YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JllgcO0f_Gg

Pictures are attached to this email although you can also request hi res photos and original video on a DVD via contact below.

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Animal Action is available for comment or interview via email chris@stopanimalcruelty.co.uk.

Thank you for taking the time,

All the best,

Chris