Why are we marching?

At a banner making session today (Monday) I decided to ask a few people why they were planning on attending Wednesday’s rally. Here are a handful of responses I got:

My dad survived leukaemia, my mum survived ovarian cancer, all thanks to chemotherapy – which was developed in animals. Everyone knows at least one person who’s been affected by cancer, and novel treatments need to be developed and require animals for this process.
– Stephanie Groman

I’m going to the rally because I’m tired of no one standing up for us, and letting the animal rights activists walk all over us, when we’re actually benefiting society.
– Sarah Sterlace, MA, UCLA

Without the research we are turning our backs on the thousands of veterans returning home with post-traumatic stress disorder. We work on novel treatments for this disorder using rat models. We treat people who have already been through a serious trauma and it doesn’t seem right that their trauma continues because animal rights activists scare researchers off their work.
– Moriel Zelikowsky, UCLA

Because those who make scientific advances should not have to live in fear.
– Melissa Flesher

As a human researcher I recognize the importance of using animals in research and I’m here to support my colleagues against the deplorable acts of violence that have plagued scientists everywhere. My research directly benefits from the work done by my colleagues who research using animals.
– Fred Sabb, Assistant Professor Psychiatry, UCLA

It’s about time that scientists stand up and speak out in support of biomedical research. I hope students and scientists from all academic departments across UCLA and its neighbouring universities come to support us as we march for the future of medical progress.
– Andrew Poulos

These responses are boosted by scientists from all across the US who have signed their support for UCLA researchers (still time to sign it). So we expect to see you at the junction of Le Conte and Westwood, at the UCLA campus, at 11:30am Wednesday April 22nd 2009 – a day that may change the direction of the animal research debate in the US.

Check out the UCLA Pro-Test page to see the latest updates including speaker lists, directions and schedule.

Cheers

Tom Holder

p.s. Check out the UCLA Pro-Test Facebook group (now well over 500 members) to show your support for medical research, and participate in some healthy debate from the occasional animal rights activist who took a wrong turn on the internet.