SHAC ATTACK 2002, Day 2

At 3:30pm today, a 50 x 100 foot banner was dropped from the Broadway Bridge facing downtown Little Rock, in full view of the monolithic Stephens, Inc. building. Ironically, also in full view was the Bank of America building, a prime target of the SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty) campaign against animal torture. On it was the challenge”STEPHENS, INC. SOLD OFF HLS? PROVE IT TO US! http://WWW.SHACUSA.NET”. It was an awesome sight to see that unfurling over the sparking afternoon water. We have pictures and video! So does the Little Rock mainstream news, which has been very kind to SHAC and the animal advocates in their coverage of last year’s events and in the preparation of this weekends activities. KATV and KHTV sent emissaries to cover the banner drop, and got interviews with two SHAC representatives addressing SHACs need for absolute proof of Stephens, Inc. severing ALL ties to HLS (Huntingdon Life Sciences) before backing off their campaign. Stephens, Inc. is suspected to have found or created a shell company to hide the fact that they have not, in fact, divested any interest in HLS. Also attending the banner drop were some of Little Rocks finest who congregated at the foot of the bridge, possibly mulling over what to do about it. They seemed to go into action just as the SHACsters left the site with banner in tow. There was an Officer Hensley sighting as the crew left the bridge. He’s our favorite police person here, and was mentioned in Octobers posting, notably for his antagonizing and aggressive baiting of the very passively protesting advocates.
In either case, Stephens, Inc. actually divesting interest, or feeling forced to extreme measures to cover their involvement, SHAC takes it as a major victory, as well they should. A small grass roots organization has not only become global, it has paved the way for the next battle in the war waging against unnecessary expenditure and horrific draconian animal torture.
Directly following the banner drop, SHAC held a town meeting and lecture with noted anti-vivisectionist Dr. Ray Greek. Dr. Greek serves as the Science Advisor for National Anti Vivisection Society (NAVS), and is also the President of Americans for Medical Advancement (AFMA), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the risks of extrapolating the results of animal experimentation to humans.
We were honored to have Dr. Greek speak today, although, as everyone knows, the event was originally to be a debate between Dr. Greek and Warren Stephens. Warren had clearly stated on a video (that can be seen on the SHAC website right now!) “…if they want to sit down and have a factual debate, fine! Let’s do it!” He then promptly denied he ever made the statement, or had received the return receipt invitations to debate sent from SHAC (for which they received confirmation of receipt. Dr. Greek is co-author of the book, "Sacred Cows & Golden Geese-The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals". Written with his wife, Jean Swingle Greek, who is a veterinarian, Sacred Cows & Golden Geese demonstrates that animal experiments are not only unnecessary, but have also resulted in harm to humans. He is most qualified on this subject as he comes from a former career of vivisection and has first hand experience in the failure of the practice. ). The following statements are from Dr. Greek on experiments involving nonhuman primates:

Nonhuman primates are not furry-looking humans
Discussions on the use of nonhuman primates (NHPs) in biomedical research most commonly center on the philosophical or ethical issues surrounding their use. The second and less explored issue is whether NHP experimentation is necessary for medical science to advance or if it is scientifically accurate. This essay addresses the latter scientific issue only, and argues that for the purpose of explaining or treating human disease,
1. Discrepancies on the cellular level between NHPs and humans make extrapolation of data from NHPs to humans highly suspect.
2. Very small differences between humans and NHPs lead to lethal errors when extrapolating NHP-derived data to humans.
Compare the track record of safety testing of medications for humans on nonhuman primates. Primates have been very disappointing with regards to their ability to predict dangerous side effects of medications, especially pertaining to the induction of birth defects. Perhaps the most infamous example is thalidomide, which caused birth defects in some but not many nonhuman primates. Aspirin produces birth defects in primates, but not babies.”

This from the NAVS website particularly applies to HLS and Stephens, Inc. as they hide behind claims of “important medical research” when in fact, their sustenance is household product application testing for liability purposes only: ‘The manufacturers of cosmetics and household products claim that they perform tests on animals to ensure the safety of their products under customary use or possible abuse when in reality it is to limit the company's liability to its customers in case of a lawsuit.
Today, in response to pressure from the public and animal advocacy groups, many large consumer product companies have discontinued animal testing in favor of non-animal alternatives. Still, animal testing remains an accepted practice for many of the largest companies, despite its serious limitations in assuring the health and safety of American consumers.”
Dr. Greek joined approximately 60 animal advocates for an awe inspiring vegan Thai buffet at the wonderful Mau’s restaurant, Thai Siam.
Tomorrow: up close and personal at Warren’s place!