The Basel Declaration has collected over 4,000 signatures in the week since its Call for Solidarity behind researchers at the University of Milan.

After the terrible break in at the University of Milan by animal rights extremists, the Basel Declaration sent out an email where they said:

In discussion with Prof. Francesco Clementi, a signatory of the Basel Declaration and renowned pharmacologist whose research was devastated by the attack, we have decided to ask you to join us in an international call for solidarity to strongly condemn these violent and extremist acts against researchers and their animals. Therefore, we now ask you to show your solidarity with the Italian colleagues, whose research has been so badly hurt at this time. What happened in Milan, can happen anywhere anytime if we do not stop it! In democratic societies, we can no longer accept extremist acts against researchers devoted to basic and medical research, which is key to finding cures and/or better treatments for the many still devastating and deadly diseases. We need to send a very strong message to the extremists, but also to politicians, lawmakers and law enforcement officials that unfortunately do not always act forceful enough to prevent and/or interfere with such extremist acts.

So, we urge everyone to share this petition on Facebook and Twitter:

Facebook share: https://www.facebook.com/SpeakingofResearch/posts/527048730671317

Twitter retweet: https://twitter.com/SpeakofResearch/status/328835598737633280

This news comes as Pro-Test Italia announce that they will be holding a demonstration in support of medical research using animals, and against animal rights extremism, on Saturday 1st June 2013. It will start at 3pm by Via Mercanti in Milan (more details on Facebook).

We urge all scientists and members of the public in and around Milan to join this rally. We hope it may mark a turning point in the way that animal research is explained in the Italian media after a string of bad publicity.

Speaking of Research

Addenum: The call gained over 5,500 signatures