ANIMAL rights protesters picketed outside the doors of a pharmaceutical company in Newbury yesterday morning (Tuesday).
Protesters belonging to the group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) chanted anti-animal testing slogans at the building through a megaphone for an hour before moving on to another protest elsewhere in Berkshire.
The protest group targeted Orion Pharma UK because of the company’s affiliation with the controversial Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) research company.
HLS is renowned for using animal testing across its pharmaceutical, chemical and food safety trials on behalf of other customers.
The small group of protestors chanted in front of the small building.
Police were informed of the protest shortly before it started and two officers were deployed to keep a watchful eye on the situation.
SHAC member, Tom Harris, reported that one male pedestrian was moved on by police after he told protesters they were “useless” and “wasting their time”.
Mr Harris said: “We’re here to inform the employees of Orion Pharma UK about what their company is doing. We’re not threatening them.”
A spokeswoman for Orion Pharma, who asked not to be named and was in the building at the time, said: “The staff felt really terrified. It was extremely distressing and very disruptive to work.”
A spokesman for Orion Pharma, which is based in Finland, Reijo Salonen said: “We have been customers of Huntingdon Life Science in the past and we may be in the future.
"But it’s irrelevant because, even if we weren’t doing business with them, we would have to use other similar firms because it’s in the nature of our industry, although I don’t think we’re currently doing business with them.”

Click on the video link above to watch footage of the demonstration.