A GROUP of activists gathered to protest against the use of animals for vivisection at a university. 

About ten protestors from animal activist group End Vivisection Experiments (EVE) gathered in New Road in Brighton’s city centre with placards and banners on Saturday afternoon.  

Following its annual Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the group were told that the University of Brighton held 260 mice and guinea pigs on site for research purposes in 2020. 

The group created a petition for the university to stop its animal experiments and find alternative methods, which currently has over 1,700 signatures.  

Organisers of Saturday’s protest said they were campaigning against the use of animals for vivisection at University of Brighton and against all vivisection, everywhere. 

“We are targeting Brighton Uni as we feel this is an ethical city and the university should switch to alternatives in their labs,” an EVE spokesman said.  

“Mice and guinea pigs are tortured and killed there and we are raising awareness of this. 

The majority of the public said they had no idea this was happening and were shocked. We gathered many signatures on our petition to the VC. 

“We will continue to campaign until the university stops all animal testing.” 

Of those held on the university premises, 239 of the animals were used for experiments and a further 1,273 were not used for experiments but were culled and their tissue was used where possible. 

The previously university said there was an increase in those not used for experiments in 2020 due to the pandemic. 

The animals were reportedly used for medical research experiments with the objective of improving the quality of life for patients with various illnesses and disabilities.  

The university has stated that any research completed on animals is carried out in line with the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and that the facilities are inspected regularly by the Home Office. 

It denied it carried out “testing” and said it “only supports the use of animals in research where their use can be justified on scientific, ethical and legal grounds, and where no alternative approaches are available”. 

It said: “The university is fully committed to the principles of reduction in the number of animals used, refinement of our procedures and replacement of animals by using other techniques.”