Activists protest against animal research at a university in Rio.
The demonstration was peaceful and took place in front of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), in Seropédica, in the metropolitan region of Rio; the act was a protest against the use of animals in research at the institution, procedures that, according to the demonstrators, are carried out with mistreatment.
From Agência Brasil
Rio de Janeiro – Animal rights activists held a peaceful demonstration this afternoon (31) in front of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), in Seropédica, metropolitan region of Rio. The act took place in protest against the use of animals in research at the institution, procedures which, according to the demonstrators, are carried out with mistreatment. Last Tuesday (29), three activists gave statements at the Federal Police (PF) station in Nova Iguaçu, in Baixada Fluminense, for planning the act through social networks.
The Federal Police informed, in a statement, that the university itself contacted the police station after students learned about the protest online. “Given that the location is a federal institution, and the investigation of crimes against these entities falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Police, a police inquiry was initiated to verify possible incitement to crime and potential animal abuse. At no time did the Federal Police prohibit any type of demonstration, having adopted the necessary measures to monitor the movement,” it says.
According to Reynaldo Velloso, president of the Commission for the Protection and Defense of Animals (CPDA) of the Brazilian Bar Association, Rio de Janeiro Section, who is providing legal assistance to the group and attended the hearings, free expression is constitutional and cannot be prohibited. "The university was afraid the protest would take an aggressive turn, fearing an invasion of the institution, as happened in São Roque, in the interior of São Paulo. Therefore, they monitored the call for the demonstration on Facebook, and when they found some names, they contacted the Federal Police. The Federal Police only did their job, which is to listen to the testimonies and try to discern whether there is such an intention or not. All the activists admitted to the peaceful demonstration, but guaranteed that the objective is only to bring the issue to the attention of society," he said.
The Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) informed, through a statement, that the university's Veterinary Institute uses beagle dogs only in studies to evaluate the effectiveness of veterinary products. "Before the start of any animal study, the drugs are tested in vitro, that is, directly on the parasites themselves, and then evaluated in animals, thus reducing the number of animals needed to prove effectiveness. The objective of the work is to improve the quality of life of the animals, and the studies are carried out under the aegis of current national legislation," it clarified.
Yesterday (30), the CPDA met with university veterinarians to hear their justifications about the case. At the meeting, it was also decided that the OAB will make a future visit to the university. According to Reynaldo Velloso, the Federal Police scheduled a technical visit for next Wednesday (6), at 10 am, to investigate the allegations of mistreatment at UFRRJ.
Editing: Aécio Amado