Animal Rights

Skanska exec Stephen Skinnder gets U-Wa vivisection lab demo

Skanska is a massive multinational construction company that is building a new animal "research" lab for University of Washington. On the morning of Saturday, November 14, activists from the No New Animal Lab campaign showed up at the Stanton, Va home of Stephen Skinner, Executive VP and General Manager of Skanska’s DC office. Grumpy neighbors responded with angry counter-chants while calling the cops and even trying to directly disrupt the protest. Stephen Skinner was caught at home, stepping outside only long enough to stick his "no tresspassing" sign in the lawn.

A sign held outside Mr Skinner's home

Banners at Skanska construction site redecorated over vivisection lab

Sometime over the Halloween weekend (also known as Earth Night), animal rights activsts redecorated banners on the fence of a Skanska construction site in DC. They added a reminder that Skanska is also building an underground animal testing/torture lab for the University of Wisconsin.

Vivisection protesters descend on Skanska office, homes over U-Wa lab contract

Skanska is one of the largest construction companies on Earth. Skanska USA has a $90M contract with University of Washington to build an underground primate research laboratory that may also be used against other animals. On the 30th of October anti-vivisection protesters showed up in front of their Arlington, VA office. That evening two Skanska executives received protests at their homes. This was part of the continent-wide #HauntSkanska campaign, which in turn is part of the No New Animal Lab campaign against University of Washington's under construction vivisection lab.

Video-protesters unfurl banner-state reason for this protest

Haunting Skanska

Activists raise deer killing issue at Rock Creek Park Day celebration

On the 27th of September, the National Park Service held "Rock Creek Park Day" in and around Rock Creek Nature Center. They got an unwelcome surprise when activists opposing the shooting of deer by the Park Service arrived. This was a delegation of two activists with banners (one on a parked car, one carried), with the goal of reminding the Park Service that they are being watched. If there is another "deer removal" program this winter, activsts will be watching, patrolling to find the killers, and protesting just like in 2014 and 2013.

Lawsuit fails to win injunction against "managed hunts" to cull deer in Montgomery County, MD

On the 15th of September, two handpicked groups of archers will begin shooting deer in a "managed hunt in two Montgomery County parks. A lawsuit by a Bethesda resident and PETA is seeking to halt this hunt, a curious hybrid of conventional deer hunting and police/ranger deer culling programs. On September 11th, the court refused to grant an injunction to halt the shooting while the case is heard on it's merits.

Video of Seneca Creek stream valley park near one of the signs announcing a "managed hunt" area

No New Animal Lab protests Skanska office in Rosslyn

The University of Washington has employed the multinational construction firm Skanska to build an underground vivisection laboratory for them. Underground it will be out of sight and armored against attack. The global No New Animal Lab campaign is mounting a pressure campaign to force Skanska to drop their contract and halt contruction of this torture chamber. On September 9, they showed up in front of Skanska's offices in Rosslyn, Virginia with signs and bullhorns for a noisy and graphic protest.

Video highlights of the Skanska office demo

Vivisection: If you build it they will come...

Code Pink, Yemenis protest Saudi King, disrupt Saudi investment forum

On the 4th of September, Saudi King Salman visited the White House. His country is waging war on the people of Yemen and flogging people for trifles. Outside the White House, Code Pink and Yemenis protested that he would have the nerve to show his face in the US. Afterwards they marched to a nearby Saudi investment forum and protested again. Medea Benjamin was dragged out of that event after managing in classic Code Pink style to get inside.

Code Pink video of White House protest against King Salman

Media Benjamin being dragged out of the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum

 King Salman's reputation gets a whipping at the White House

Direct Action Everywhere disrupts Maryland State Fair over animal abuse

On the 31st of August, Direct Action Everywhere activists disrupted the Maryland State Fair where children are brainwashed into objectifying other animals to enable the exploiters to continue profiting from the animal slaughter. Row after row of animals were kept in pens as humans walked by gawking at them. Children aggressively led or rode animals around rings hoping to win ribbons. Animals who resisted, with eyes wide with fear, were forcefully controlled.

Video: Cows abused, activists hustled out of fair

Hook used on cows at MD State fair. Looks like a bullhook used by circuses on elephants

Cows bulhooked, activists hustled out of MD State Fair

Animal rights protesters hit Starbucks, Whole Foods in Baltimore

On the 15th of August, vegan protesters from Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) protested inside first a Starbucks and then a Whole Foods in Baltimore. In both cases the issue was the sale of animal products. At Whole Foods extra attention was paid to the fake "cruelty-free" marketing Whole Foods is known for.
Youtube video from the Starbucks protest

Youtube video from the Whole Foods protest

Protesters inside a Starbucks in Baltimore

Vegan activists disrupt shopping at Rockville Whole Foods store

On the 9th of August, Vegan activists from Direct Action Everywhere entered the Whole Foods on Rockville Pike in MD and staged a noisy speakout at the back of the meat section. Protesters charged that ALL animal products sold as "humane" at Whole Foods are just as fraudulent as the now notorious eggs from caged hens, and that these labels are meaningess.

Youtube video of Aug 10 in-store protest

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