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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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18

Activists Torch Drug CEO's Home, Steal Mom's Ashes

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(Newser) – Animal rights militants have torched the home of the CEO of drug giant Novartis and stolen his mother's ashes from a Swiss cemetery, say company officials. Employees' cars have also been vandalized and attacked with crude explosive devices, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The message "Drop HLS Now" was found on the gravestone of CEO Daniel Vassella's mother, a message believed to be a reference to British animal-research lab Huntingdon Life Sciences. Novartis officials say, however, that the company has not done business with Huntingdon for many years and that while it does still do some animal testing, it has taken "strong steps" to reduce the number of animal used and switch to computer-generated models.

A man passes the logo of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis at the company's headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.
A man passes the logo of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis at the company's headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.   (AP Photo/Keystone, Steffen Schmidt )
Daniel Vasella, chairman and CEO of Novartis, speaks during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this year.
Daniel Vasella, chairman and CEO of Novartis, speaks during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this year.   (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella is projected on a screen as he speaks during the general assembly of Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, earlier this year.
Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella is projected on a screen as he speaks during the general assembly of Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, earlier this year.   (AP Photo/Keystone, Georgios Kefalas)
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It is important that people realize that it is not possible to discover novel products which save thousands of human lives every year without some use of animal data, which is required by regulatory authorities. - A Novartis spokeswoman

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18 comments
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oldgoat
Aug 5, 09 3:31 AM CDT
I can live with people having beliefs on animal rights, but I draw the line at arson and the stealing of ashes. If it was me and I was the CEO I'd spare no money or effort in hunting down and doing everything possible to destroy these activists. The war would be on. Reply
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+6
IN RESPONSE:
Eleutherius
Aug 5, 09 4:57 AM CDT
But if people do in fact believe in animal rights, doesn't that mean or at least indicate that they would support strong action including other rights violations to prevent animal rights from being violated? I imagine you believe that torturing people for no reason violates some kind of right. Now, if some people used violence to prevent other people from being needlessly tortured, would you not support that?
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-2
IN RESPONSE:
awase61
Aug 5, 09 7:24 AM CDT
@Eleutherius there are protests, there are violent protests, then there is defacing a man's mother's grave and ashes. The first two can at times be completely justified the third never can. If you can't see the difference, this world needs more help then anyone can provide.
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+5
IN RESPONSE:
pete_ess
Aug 5, 09 1:42 PM CDT
awase61 - "this world needs more help then anyone can provide" - Sure does if someone believes violent protests rate lower in shock value than "defacing a man's mother's grave and ashes". I'm afraid that sounds like church-talk. You gotta be church-brainwashed to rate inanimate objects above living animals or humans. Think hard about it. (For the record, and to come clean, I do indeed think Novartis sucks).
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+2
paul123
Aug 5, 09 7:01 AM CDT
sick Reply
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+1

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