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VIDEO: Chaos at Cornell During Protest Against NY Blood Center’s Laurie Glimcher

October 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment


The News

Chaos unfolded when activists pushed back against Cornell Medical College security guards who tried to stop a legal protest against the school’s dean, Dr. Laurie Glimcher. As a member of the board of the New York Blood Center (NYBC), Dr. Glimcher signed off on the organization’s plan to abandon 66 chimpanzees in Liberia with no food or water.

Activists have staged three protests at Cornell Medical College demanding that Dr. Glimcher reinstate funding for NYBC’s ex-lab chimps. During the first two protests, students, faculty and staff exiting the building were instructed by school officials to ignore the activists, and they were given handouts exonerating Dr. Glimcher.

A man exiting Cornell spits on an activist protesting Dr. Laurie Glimcher

A man exiting Cornell spits on an activist protesting Dr. Laurie Glimcher

When that strategy backfired, by triggering a louder and more disruptive activist presence, Cornell’s security team diverted people leaving the premises to a side exit and then created a human blockade to keep activists several hundred feet away. The school’s approach again backfired, as the increased repression only served to generate more outrage from both the activists and people exiting Cornell who were disturbed by the commotion.

Cornell security guards block activists from protesting on a public sidewalk

Cornell security guards block activists from protesting on a public sidewalk

NYBC left its former chimps on six islands near Monrovia, the country’s capital, with no food or water after experimenting on them for 30 years; earning $500 million in royalties off of the research; and promising to provide them with lifelong care.

In a letter to the NY Blood Center, Jane Goodall said the organization has a moral obligation to pay for the chimps' care.

In a letter to the NY Blood Center, Jane Goodall said the organization has a “moral obligation” to pay for the chimps’ care.

Your Turn

Please join the Facebook page: New York Blood Center: Do the Right Thing to participate in the online actions. If you live in New York City, please join the protests targeting New York Blood Center board members at their homes and offices.

Activists demand that NYBC board member Laurie Glimcher reinstates funding for the group's ex-lab chimps

Activists demand that NYBC board member Laurie Glimcher reinstates funding for the group’s ex-lab chimps


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