BUAV's New CEO: Ignore the Violent Man Behind the Curtain

Italian animal rights activist Adolfo Sansolini this month became chief executive officer of the British Union for the Abolishment of Vivisection. Sansolini founded Italian anti-animal research group Lega Anti Vivesezione, and for the last few years has been a consultant to Eurogroup for Animal Welfare.

What the British press picked up on right away were Sansolini’s views on non-violence. UKPets News included the following quotes from Sansolini,

I oppose all violence, be it violence against animal victims in the laboratory or violence towards people outside the laboratory. The difference between races, sexuality or religion have long been used to justify prejudice and exploitation. The argument that we have the right to experiment on animals because they are a different species is just the same.

. . .

To depict anti-vivisectionists as terrorists is dishonest. A small number of violent people can exist in any environment but they cannot be taken as a symbol of a radically non-violent movement like the one for the respect of animal rights. But that’s not to say that some anti-vivisectionists shouldn’t be more self-critical when it comes to tactics.

Talks out of both sides of his mouth — should fit in perfectly at BUAV.

BUAV’s press release announcing Sansolini’s appointment included a quote from him claiming that, “The BUAV is the world’s leading organization campaigning for an end to animal experiments . . .” This was followed by a note that “Adolfo’s appointment to the BUAV comes in the year (2004) of the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Frances Power Cobbe, the BUAV’s original founder.” Apparently it doesn’t take much in the way of results to become the world’s leading organization campaigning for an end to animal experiments.

Here’s to another 100+ years of continuing that same level of success by the BUAV.

Sources:

New BUAV CEO defies animal activist stereotype. UKPets.Co.UK, August 26, 2004.

The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection Appoints Adolfo Sansolini as Chief Executive Officer. Press Release, The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, May 20, 2004.

European Commission's Proposed Animal Transport Laws

In June, the European Commission released a draft law intended to regulate animal transportation within the European Union.

The proposed law would increase the amount of space that has to be devoted to each animal and would limit transportation to a maximum of 9 hours which would then have to be followed by an 11 hour rest period. That did not please animal activists who want a strict limit of 8 hours maximum total travel time for animals.

Sonja Van Tichelen of Eurogroup for Animal Welfare told Reuters,

They are not thinking of a transport limit but some intermediate solution of nine hours and then 11 hours rest on the vehicle, then another nine hours and so on. It will make every journey a lot longer. It’s unbelievable they can even consider it. It would almost double the transport time from the Netherlands to Greece.

Farmers in some EU countries, such as Ireland, also were displeased, saying the new restrictions would essentially end their livestock export businesses.

The proposed new regulations also ban the transportation of pigs younger than four weeks, lambs younger than one week and calves younger than two weeks would be banned altogether.

Sources:

Brussels draws up tough new animal transport law. The Financial Times (London), June 11, 2003.

Byrne puts livestock trade at risk accusation. Sean MacConnell, The Irish Times, June 20, 2003.

EU drafts new rules on transporting live animals. Jeremy Smith, Reuters, June 16, 2003.