SPEAK protestors continue
Animal rights group SPEAK is targeting donors in the latest part of their campaign to prevent the development of the University's new £18m neuroscience facility.
SPEAK has called on campaigners to phone and write to those who provide funding to the University, including benefactors to any college or faculty, even if they are not involved in animal research.
SPEAK is taking the measure as it claims that many donors would be "shocked" at the practises carried out by the university.
The University is denying this suggestion, saying: "The function of the new building has been made public and details are freely available on the internet, but any donor making further enquiries would of course be given full information about what the building will be for."
SPEAK defended its decision to target all University funding, arguing: "The University is made up of a wide range of academic staff and though our campaign may be specifically against the building of the new animal lab and the torture of animals at Oxford, they must take some responsibility," said a spokesman.
"Anyone at Oxford University not connected to the animal abuse department has a role to play in preventing the new laboratory from ever being built."
Among the groups that have been targeted are law firms belonging to the City of London Solicitors Company, which provides funding to the University's Law faculty.
Alastair Collett of Farrer & Co said he had received emails from SPEAK but was not aware why he had been sent them.
"We have nothing to do with animals, our concern is legal education."
A spokesperson said the University was aware some letters have been received, adding: "We will be keeping a close eye on the situation to ensure that none of our donors are subject to any harrassment."
The University is not worried that the action will result in a reduction of funding for the project, and fully expects work on the biomedical research centre, which stopped in July after the building contractor Montpellier pulled out, to be completed as originally scheduled.
13th Jan 2005