CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / WESTWOOD
Between 80 and 100 animal rights activists Monday protested ongoing primate research at UCLA.
Members of Stop Animal Exploitation Now marched to Chancellor Gene Block’s office in Murphy Hall, asking him to halt researcher Joaquin Fuster’s primate experiments with rhesus monkeys.
UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton said research projects undergo a strict vetting process to ensure they are warranted. He said Fuster’s research has made major contributions to the understanding of how memory works.
About 15 police officers were on hand; no one was arrested or injured.
UCLA neuroscientist J. David Jentsch, whose silver Volvo was set on fire March 7, organized a pro-research rally at UCLA on April 22. His demonstration was sparked by a string of arson attacks and threats against UCLA scientists since 2006.
-- Nicole Santa Cruz
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
