Activists Occupy New York Blood Center

Security was tight at the NY Blood Center, with a guard stationed at the door to prevent another protest inside the building. But that didn’t stop 15 activists from charging past him; occupying the lobby for 30 minutes; and using a bullhorn to ensure that employees throughout the building could hear about the crimes committed by their employer and the demand to reinstate funding for the chimps who they left to die with no food or water.

Jane Velez-Mitchell and Donna Dennison from JaneUnchained were there to document the disruption and the reaction from the NY Blood Center:

In May, the NY Blood Center told the NY Times it has no “contractual obligation” to care for their former lab chimps. That’s not good enough for leaders in the great ape community, including Dr. Jane Goodall, who say that NYBC has an ethical obligation. Like the grass roots activists who have staged two protests in their lobby, they are demanding that the NYBC reinstate the funding.

Activists occupy NY Blood Center to demand that its executives reinstate funding for the lab chimps they abandoned

Will NYBC executives continue to dig in their heels with the hope that activists will abandon their efforts to hold the them accountable? Or will they reinstate the funding for the chimps in order to prevent similar protests at the homes and offices of their executives, board members and donors?

Activists unroll police tape to convey the message that the NYBC is a crime scene

1. Please join the Facebook page New York Blood Center: Do the Right Thing and participate in the calls to action.

2. Sign the Change.org petition asking one of NYBC’s biggest supporters, MetLife, to cut its funding to the organization.

2. Please give the NYBC a one star review on its Facebook page.