Westmount to keep a close eye on animal rights protesters
By Martin C. Barry
Although a noisy demonstration of animal rights activists expected in Westmount last Sunday ended up not taking place, police from Station 12 and Westmount Public Security remain on alert.
Mayor Karin Marks met at City Hall last week with residents of Victoria between Sherbrooke and Côte St. Antoine, and Roslyn from de Maisonneuve to Sherbrooke, to
discuss what action can be taken.
So far, the sporadic demonstrations, targeting executives of a life sciences company the demonstrators accuse of abusing animals for research purposes, have resulted in many irate phone calls to City Hall and have required police and Public Security intervention.
Last Sunday evening, the demonstrators, who coordinate their moves over the Internet and through circulars handed out in public places, were supposed to show up on Roslyn and Victoria once again.
While rain might have been a factor in the no-show, they apparently staged a demonstration downtown instead. Nonetheless, several police and Public Security vehicles could be seen patrolling the two streets during the evening. A car from a private security company was also parked on Victoria Avenue.
Residents on the streets where the demonstrations have been taking place have been especially alarmed by some of the activists’ tactics. The demonstrators mask their faces and leaders shout out through bullhorns. There have also been reports of intimidating phone calls being made to the targeted individuals and that a home was vandalized with graffiti.
The police are limited in the degree to which they can intervene. The demonstrators have the right to assemble under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as long as they conduct themselves lawfully.
Under the charter, hiding one’s face is only considered illegal when it is done in conjunction with the commission of a crime. The City of Westmount is currently considering what legal options can be used to restore tranquility on the streets.
Weather: Montreal, July 18th 2008 / 21°C
/ Light rain
/ Wind: 9 Km/h / Humidity: 88 % 
Steven Guilbeault - Environment Column
Richard Cléroux - National Columnist
stopp animal cruelty
Comment online since October 5th 2006I would like to address both articles in the Westmont Examiner concerning the demonstrations against animal cruelty at the homes of executives who have business relationships with Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). To begin with, HLS has been exposed on numerous occasions severely abusing animals. There is video documentation of workers punching beagle puppies in the face, cutting open screaming monkeys while alive and fully conscious, and many other acts of the most horrendous forms of cruelty imaginable.
The protests happening in Westmount are targeted against two executives who have business relationships with this laboratory, TEVA, and Sumitomo. While Wayne Larson thinks that the demos cross the line by bringing this fight to a personal level, we would like to remind him that according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms it does not cross any legal lines and it is our right as free peoples to exercise this right when we feel a grave injustice is happening. 500 animals die every single day inside of HLS and without customers like TEVA and Sumitomo HLS would not exist. Last year over 100 companies stopped all business contracts with HLS because it is unethical and immoral… why do these two companies continue? Both the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange have either kicked HLS off, or not allowed them to be listed to trade their stock because of fraudulent and irregular business dealings. HSBC, the world’s second largest bank, refuses to do business with them, nor will Deloitte&Touche the largest auditor, nor will the largest insurance company: Marsh. The article also forgets to mention that we have the support of many people living in this area. As dog lovers, many residents do not support a neighbour whose work includes sending orders to a laboratory to cut up innocent animals.
Every protest has been peaceful, noisy, but always peaceful. The only violence occurring is inside HLS where innocent animals are tortured and killed. The demonstrations will stop once these executives make the decision to stop using Huntingdon Life Sciences. It’s that simple.
To view an undercover investigation of Huntingdon Life Sciences, please visit:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wy6vrTxLeq0