Animal rights campaigners who halted Cambridge plans to build a primate research center have succeeded in temporarily closing the Oxford Department of Pharmacology this past weekend, for fear of invasion by demonstrators against the university's new animal house, under construction nearby, Oxford pharmacologist Les Iversen told
“We are now receiving the full brunt of the victorious group that managed what they consider a triumph in Cambridge,” said Iversen. “There are demonstrations every 3 or 4 days. They are small and peaceful, but meanwhile, behind the scenes, they are targeting vulnerable groups, like in this case the building contractors—their vehicles have been attacked, tires slashed, paint poured.”
“There's already a substantial drain on police resources in Oxford; and someone is going to have to pay for all the extra security we are going to have to put in place; and departments such as mine have to be closed down ...
