Protesters rally against animal research at UCLA
About 40 protesters marched against the use of animals in research at UCLA on Monday. They called for the release of primates used in UCLA research studies.
By Kristen Taketa
Oct. 15, 2013 12:07 a.m.
Animal rights activists marched at UCLA on Monday to protest research experimentation on non-human primates and other animals.
About 40 people – none of whom were affiliated with UCLA – marched from the intersection of Le Conte Avenue and Westwood Boulevard to Kerckhoff Hall, holding signs and reciting chants such as “How many animals have to die” and “They make money while we get sick.”
The protesters called for UCLA researchers to release the primates they use for research.
“We believe (the animals) should live their lives in a sanctuary setting where their care and lives are the first priority,” said Michael Budkie, co-founder and executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, which organized the protest in commemoration of Primate Liberation Week. “We believe animal exploitation is a waste of federal funding and it is cruel to the animals.”
Bob Ingersoll, member of Stop Animal Exploitation Now and the American Society of Primatologists, said he thinks scientists should use techniques other than animal testing, such as computer mapping, to conduct their research.
“It is time for this end,” he said. “I don’t think this is productive. I don’t think the data is applicable to humans.”
In response to the protest, the university released a statement which said that animals are critical for providing models of human systems for medical research. The release stated that animal research affiliated with the university is strictly regulated, and that requests for using animals in research are reviewed by an independent committee of experts.
“Extensive steps are taken to minimize the use of animals and to prevent discomfort,” the statement read. “UCLA is committed to the highest standards of animal care.”
There are fewer than 20 non-human primates on campus for research, according to the statement.
Razmik Ghukasyan, a second-year medical student at UCLA, said he saw the protesters march by the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. As a student researcher who does not use animals for his studies, he said he wishes the protesters would acknowledge the results that researchers produce in their work.
“No one mentions the scientific progress we have made, which is very important to me,” Ghukasyan said. “I can say that the scientific community can do a little more to demonstrate the advances we are making to contrast the (protesters’) message.”
Contributing reports from Dylan Nguyen, Bruin contributor.
