Here's a response from The National Anti-Vivisection Society to Tony Blair's Telegraph article I didn't see yesterday:
Jan Creamer, chief executive, said: "We understand this petition has only 13,000 names, as compared to over 20 times that number of people who support animal welfare groups on non-animal research, plus the overwhelming public support for replacement of animals in testing.I just love that Jan Creamer called these animal researchers extremists, turning the tables. It has potential to backfire, but testing on animals is an extreme practice. Aside from that, it's also nice to see UAV agreeing with the sentiments I expressed yesterday. If activists can unite against animal testing without restorting to intimidaton tactics, the number of people that could pressure governments and institutions politically would be far greater than the number currently prompting Western governments to crack down. Imagine trying to quell the voices of a million people against vivisection.
"This petition is being run by an extremist group of vested interests representing a very narrow area of medical research that wants to see the UK continue with an outdated method of research as opposed to taking up more advanced, non-animal scientific methods."
The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection praised Mr Blair's tough stance against extremists but urged him to find alternatives to testing.
Campaign director Alistair Currie said: "The Prime Minister is right to take a tough line against extremism but wrong to think that needs a tough line in favour of animal experiments. Tony Blair seems to be blindly backing the animal experimenters in the mistaken view that what's needed is solidarity with them: what's actually needed is a cool and objective look at the profound animal suffering and outmoded science that animal experiments represent."
Tags: vivisection | animal testing | animal research
