Animal rights campaigners march in Tokyo to protest animal testing

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TOKYO, March 8 Kyodo -
Animal rights campaigners dressed as rabbits marched Sunday in Tokyo to protest
against the use of animals to test cosmetics.
Nearly 200 people took to the streets ahead of the enforcement in the European
Union on Wednesday of a directive that bans sales of cosmetics and toiletries
that contain ingredients which have been tested on animals.
Some demonstrators disguised as bunnies, which are often used for vivisection,
took part in the one-hour march through Shibuya and Harajuku, areas popular
with young people.
''We decided that Shibuya would be the best location (for the protest) because
we feel many young Japanese often side with our viewpoint'' much faster than
the elderly, said Hiromi Kamekura, the director of Japan Anti-Vivisection
Association and organizer of the protest.
The seventh amendment to the European Union Cosmetics Directive will come into
effect on a step-by-step basis from Wednesday, outlawing the sale of cosmetic
products with ingredients that have been tested on animals.
==Kyodo
2009-03-08 21:28:53