STUDENTS at Oxford University angered by threats, disruption and demonstrations against the construction of a £20 million animal-testing facility are hitting back with pro- research protests.

Assaults by animal rights extremists are soaring and high numbers of targeted organisations continue to capitulate to their demands, according to figures released yesterday by the pharmaceutical industry.

Even though the overall number of attacks halved last year from 177 to 85, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, they have become increasingly violent. Attacks involving incendiary devices rose from one in 2004 to eight last year and assaults that injured people increased from none two years ago to six in 2005.

Meanwhile, a leading art college became this week the latest organisation to distance itself from Oxford University under pressure from animal welfare activists. And Oxford students have been named as a legitimate target for violence by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). One student group, calling itself Pro-Test, will hold its first demonstration this month to coincide with a rally organised by Speak, the national animal rights group campaigning against the laboratory.

Pro-Test’s tactics mirror those of animal rights activists, with about 150 students using websites and chat forums to organise protests. A spokesman said: “Our organisation supports only non-violent protest and we condemn anyone who uses violence or intimidation.” Speak contacted Edinburgh College of Arts (ECA) and posted a statement on its website allegedly from the college, which is affiliated to the University of Edinburgh and has its own biomedical research facility.

This said: “ECA has no intention of having future dealings with institutions which are engaged in such practices (vivisection).”

The college then put out a revised statement saying: “ECA has never sponsored research into animal testing, nor will it ever sponsor such research.

“A former department within the college had a joint social science research contract with Oxford University some years ago.”

TROUBLED LAB

1999 ALF celebrates as an Oxfordshire farm that bred cats for scientific research closes after protests

July 2004 Montpellier, the contractor building the Oxford laboratory, pulls out after threats from activists. ALF also admits an arson attack on the Hertford College boathouse

August 2005 ALF announces an initiative led by Speak, the animal rights group, to target any organisations linked to Oxford University

January 14, 2006 Speak holds a demonstration outside the site of the planned laboratory

January 29 Posting on the ALF website threatens violence against all staff and students at Oxford University over the planned £20 million animal research laboratory

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