Subject: Peta is up to their old tricks
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 21:37:28 -0400 (EDT)

ACT UP Washington Media Alert
for immediate release     May 16, 1997
contact Steve Michael at 202.547.0854
Warning:  Animal Rights extremists expanding efforts to undermine US medical
reserch efforts
Peta hires Brit for US
tour in effort 
ACT UP Washington vows to expose Peta's hypocricy 
ACT UP Washington is challenging a new campaign by animal rights extremists
seeking to end the use of laboratory animals for life-saving AIDS research
efforts.  The group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), has
hired a British Gay activist, Peter Tatchell, for an eight city US tour.
 According to Tatchell's New York publicist, the Briton will seek meetings
with US AIDS organizations to argue that "AIDS experiments with animals are
unproductive and cruel."  
Peta has long contended that "even if a cure for AIDS resulted from animal
research, we'd be against it."  
 ACT UP Washington has taken a lead role in challenging increasing attacks on
AIDS research facilities by animal rights extremists.  ACT UP's Washington
and Golden Gate (San Francisco Bay Area) clashed with Peta last year in a
series of demonstrations including the arrest of nine people with HIV/AIDS at
the 'World Animal Congress' held in Washington DC.  ACT UP Los Angeles
picketed a Hollywood Gala fundraiser held in November where Peta gave its
'Humanitarian of the Year Award' to Republican Senator Bob Smith, an arch-foe
of AIDS funding, earning him the nickname 'the Jesse Helms of the North."
 Peta has long contended that "even if a cure for AIDS resulted from animal
research, we'd be against it."  

 States Steve Michael, the HIV + spokesperson for ACT UP Washington, "Animal
rights terrorism has destroyed biomedical research in Britain, including
fire-bombings of researchers and laboratories.  We refuse to allow Tachell
and his Peta funders to destroy American AIDS research efforts." 
 Peta did media work for terrorists that burned lab
 More than 300 attacks on medical research facilities by animal rights groups
occurred between 1977-1993, according the US Justice Department.  In 1992 at
the University of Arizona, years worth of research on a treatment for
cryptosporidium was destroyed when animal rights activists burned two
laboratories and 'liberated' a thousand rats, mice, and rabbits.  

Contamination of cryptosporidium, a parasitic infection, in Milwaukee's
drinking water, killed over a hundred people with AIDS in 1993'
 Representatives of Peta did the media work of the terrorists involved in
that act of violence
DC based ACT UP member challenges Peta shill to debate on the use of animals
for medical research
 "We're struggling to survive this epidemic.  People with AIDS are fighting
for food, medicine, housing.  We're fighting for an AIDS cure.  An effort
more important than liberating lab rats." adds ACT UP Washington's Steve
Michael, who is issuing a challenge to Peter Tatchell to debate the issue
"anywhere, anytime, just put it on your expense account." Michael and other
AIDS activists will follow Peta on their tour.  Concludes Michael, "Our lives
depend on research ..  We will not allow Peta and their fellow terrorists
from England to add one more minute to the length of this epidemic."  

ACT UP members are available for on camera interviews or debate.  Call ACT UP
Washington at 202.547.0854
Media efforts to facilitate a debate between Michael and Tatchell are welcome
and encouraged.  
The first three locations of the Peta campaign of lies are New York,
Philadelphia and Washington