Friday, May 22, 2009

Community Outreach and Protest Focused on Huntingdon Life Sciences Largest Shareholder Vanguard

On Friday May 15th activists located a residential building in a popular Chelsea neighborhood that is home to some managers of HLS’ largest shareholders. Since then, the second largest shareholder has divested and is no longer a target.. The focus is now primarily on Vanguard.

Activists gathered in front of the popular Whole Foods store with a well stocked literature table, a DVD player showing a continuous loop of the animal cruelty occurring at Huntingdon Life Sciences, graphic signs and posters and a dozen loud voices. Hundreds of flyers were distributed not only about Vanguard and their relationship with Huntingdon Life Sciences; but, also general anti-animal testing literature and even flyers about the deadly fur trade and veg starter kits.

Apparently, someone who took a flyer about Joy Tomchin lives in Joy’s building and left a flyer at Joy’s door. This prompted Joy to call Win Animal Rights and they were so glad that she did. It seems that Joy works for a small firm named Vanguard Investments, a company unrelated to Vanguard Group, which holds the LSR stock. Joy was very understanding about the mistake as she told us it happens all the time.

A representative of Win Animal Rights also spoke to Joy’s partner because she participates in a Vanguard Mutual Fund and she wanted to know more about the relationship between the Vanguard Group and Huntingdon Life Sciences. After hearing about the horrors at HLS, she agreed to contact Vanguard in an effort to make sure that Vanguard knows how she feels about their relationship with animal abusers.

Win Animal Rights wishes to extend an apology to Joy for the misunderstanding. At the same time, WAR believes that a lot was accomplished in the two Friday evenings of community outreach at the busy Whole Foods in Chelsea. Several Vanguard investors stopped and chatted with activists and promised to make their feelings known to Vanguard management by either writing or calling.

W.A.R. (WIN ANIMAL RIGHTS) is an independent non-profit organization not affiliated or associated with SHAC, SHAC USA or any other group or organization and does not conduct or incite any illegal activity. The above information is not meant to incite or request any illegal actions or illegal activities of any kind. If you have any questions about the legality of any act, we encourage everyone receiving this (or the) action alert(s) to check your local laws and ordinances before proceeding to do anything.