On 14th February 2000, the Royal Bank of Scotland took over National Westminster Bank. NatWest is the target of nationwide protests because of its involvement with Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). Now the bank's new head office at St. Andrew's Square is to become a focus of demonstration.
HLS is Europe's largest contract testing company. It tortures and kills 180,000 animals a year, despite the existence of humane alternatives to vivisection. The company is involved in chemical testing, GM foods trials and xenotransplantation (cross-species organ transplants). It experiments on primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, horses, sheep, pigs, cows, birds and fish.
HLS workers' extreme cruelty to animals has been exposed by 3 undercover investigations. Footage from one of these was broadcast in 1996 by Channel 4 in a programme called "It's a Dog's Life". The documentary showed HLS technicians shaking and repeatedly punching beagle puppies. It also revealed experiments being faked.
Following this programme, HLS's profits fell into sharp decline. Companies deserted HLS and its share price plummeted from £1.20 to just a few pence. The sole reason HLS is still in business is NatWest's decision to give HLS credit of £24.5 million. This was put on a permanent footing until 31st August 2000. Now that the Royal Bank of Scotland owns NatWest, it must be urged to sever connections with HLS. This could result in HLS's closure.
A protest was held outside NatWest on George Street on Saturday 26th February and was followed by a large successful demonstration outside the Royal Bank of Scotland's head office on St. Andrew's Square at 11am on Friday 3rd March. For details of future actions, phone Anna MacKintosh on (0131) 312 7278.
There will be a bus from Glasgow and Edinburgh going to the World Day for Laboratory Animals Demonstration at HLS in Cambridgeshire. The bus picks up in Glasgow and Edinburgh at approximately 10pm-12am Friday 21 April and returns also overnight on Saturday 22 April arriving back in Scotland early morning Sunday 23 April. The cost should work out at approximately £10 per head. For more details and to book please call (0141) 812 1533. For more details on the campaign against HLS, contact Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty at PO Box 381, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 1YN, Tel: (0121) 632 6460.