A young woman has subjected herself to torturous animal testing in full public view – all in the name of animal rights. The stunt took place in the window of a store in the UK as part of a worldwide campaign by the brand and The Humane Society International.
The brave young animal rights protester who subjected herself to 10 hours of testing” was Jacqueline Traide, 24. Passers-by on London’s busy Regent Street, where the Lush store is located, were shocked watching Traide being dragged, tied up, prodded, injected, force fed and having her head shaved, among many other terrifyingly cruel acts. People around the globe have since emulated their reactions, as images of the spectacle have gone global.
As with most things that tend to make us feel uncomfortable, animal testing is often pushed into the ignorance is bliss” basket of thought. But these images are hard to ignore. No matter what your opinion on animal testing, I’d say it’s impossible not to be affected by this campaign.
Looking at the photos, there is no doubt I would’ve signed Lush’s petition had I been walking past this display. Even though the surgeon” performing the cruelty on Traide was in fact a performance artist, the pain experienced by his subject looks at times to be excruciatingly real. The Humane Society says animals are routinely tested in this manner for make-up and perfumes.
Traide volunteered herself for the role of guinea pig” so to speak, bravely opening herself up to public humiliation and pain. Prior to the ordeal, Traide told a Daily Mail reporter, I hope it will plant the seed of a new awareness in people to really start thinking about what they go out and buy and what goes into producing it.” I can speak for myself when I say, mission accomplished.
How does the campaign affect you? Will it change the way you think about animal testing?