Degree Ceremony Demo Report – Sat 29 November

It’s bad enough for animals to be kept behind bars; to be denied the space and stimulation they need, to be deprived of their natural environments and the companionship of their own kind. But what is inexcusable is for these same animals to then be experimented on, to have ‘procedures’ carried out on them which leave them altered, disabled, wounded and in pain.

We are meant to be living in a civilised society and yet for such atrocities to be allowed to happen, and for it to be legal, shows us to be simply despicable.

It is for the above reasons that over thirty SPEAK supporters spent six hours in the bitter cold highlighting the shame that is Oxford University to all those in the vicinity of the Sheldonion Theatre. All those who attended were adamant that the animal experiments carried out by this institution must stop and that SPEAK will be there to fight for the animals for however long that takes.

There were a lot of positive responses to the demo from those tutors and graduates attending the ceremonies showing, once again, that there is dissent within the university itself. A fact they try to hide and stamp out, but keep failing to do so.

The longer the campaign against animal cruelty at Oxford University continues, the more support we get – and SPEAK will be in Oxford day in, day out and year in , year out until the torture of animals by this university ceases. Forever.