Jacqueline Traides, Performance Artist, Joins Lush Campaign To End Animal Testing (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

How far would you go to protest animal testing in cosmetics and other consumer products? A performance artist in London recently agreed to undergo procedures in a shop window meant to simulate animal testing.

Jacqueline Traides, 24, spent about 10 hours this week in the window of Lush Cosmetics' Regent Street store in Central London. During the ordeal, she was subjected to force-feeding, injections, hair shaving and other uncomfortable procedures -- often while restrained -- reported the International Business Times.

Traides was joined by fellow performance artist, Oliver Cronk, who assumed the role of a laboratory technician. According to the Daily Mail, thousands of passersby witnessed the stunt and many signed a petition to end animal testing.

Traides said, "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."

Lush's Fighting Animal Testing campaign was clear that the London demonstration's mission was "intended to shock." Emphasizing their opposition to animal testing, the group wrote:

When we are forced to recognise that this aspirational industry depends upon the needless suffering and death of millions of innocent animals – animals that could have been our dog, our children’s guinea pigs, our neighbours’ rabbits – animals that we humanely love – we are shocked and we recoil.

Humane Society International has also taken a stance against animal testing for cosmetics and encourages consumers to sign their pledge to be cruelty-free.

In February, it was revealed that cosmetic companies Estee Lauder and Avon were allegedly cooperating with Chinese government requirements that cosmetic products sold in that country must be tested on animals.

Recent videos have shown animals reacting positively to being released from laboratory testing. These clips show the reactions of laboratory chimpanzees and beagles to seeing sunlight for the first time in their lives.

WATCH footage from the protest (WARNING: GRAPHIC):

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Comments

[Sean Braine]

07:09 PM on 04/27/2012

Human society has turned into a greedy money making machine with no respect (or mostly just plain ignorance) for ecology and natural habitat. Little do we know that every aspect of life on earth has a mutual benefit to the next organism. The extinction of one organism means a link in the chain of life has expired and cannot be replaced and WILL have an adverse affect on the future of the planet. What this young lady has done to endure the pain and mental endurance to protect what we have as a important link in the chain of what should be the future, of life as it should be, has to be respected and supported by all means possible. A whole book can be written about what can and should be done but without people willing to put there integrity and greed aside this planet is going nowhere. RESPECT !!!

[Jim Bob Backer]

01:04 PM on 04/27/2012

Ah... the majesty of the human species... torturing small creatures so we can paint our vain faces and have full luxurious hair... bravo.

[Katherine Horkey]

06:27 PM on 04/26/2012

It’s not that animal rights activists don’t believe that humans are better or more important than animals; it’s just that they don’t believe WOMEN are better or more valuable than animals. This is why it is okay to objectify and even torture women as a political protest for animal rights, under the claim that it is okay since they consented to it. This isn’t true because women have had it ingrained into their minds by the patriarchy that they are sub-human.

I don’t see any men being tortured and put on display like meat in order to advance the rights of animals as women are all the time. It’s so goddamn insulting that someone would willingly do this when millions of women have been beaten, raped, and tortured in a plethora of ways since the beginning of time AND THEY DIDN’T WANT TO BE.

Animal rights activists don’t hate humans, but they sure hate women. It’s not like women are people anyway, so it’s okay to objectify and torture them in the name of animal rights. I bet they loved torturing her because they got to torture a woman. I bet they got some real sick pleasure out it.

[DebbyM]

08:09 PM on 04/26/2012

Maybe no guy volunteered. It's probably something as simple as that. And I should point out that the majority of vegans and vegetarians are women so it's not a stretch to assume that most AR workers are women too.

[tallul]

09:50 AM on 04/27/2012

She was not tortured, it was not real it was a performance. The realisticness of the torture is the whole point, because that is what is done to thousands of animals for the sake of lipstick. She was treated like meat because thats how the animals she represents are treated. She was not objectified in any other sense than that she was playing the role of a vulnerable defencless being. And maybe that state of being is best represented by a woman, women as im sure you know are more vulnerable to abuse than men in most of the world. Maybe that is why most vegans, animal rights campaigners etc are women, they understand suffering. You are making alot of assumptions, why would you think they got pleasure out of pretending to torture her?

[Adrienne E Rothenberg]

01:29 PM on 04/26/2012

My comment is concerning the second video, about animal testing for medical research:
There's a reason that humans and other animals get disease. There is a time to die. Yes, it is horribly tragic and unbelievably painful when a loved one-- whether human or nonhuman-- suffers through a disease and dies, but this is nature, this is reality. Humans and nonhuman animals die and we must accept that. Even though some diseases are brought on because of human's impact on the world, we need to let nature take it's course. It is called natural selection; it's how all the species on the world came to be, and why other species are extinct. It is not natural for us to perform vivisection. Believe it or not, humans are animals, too. The more we disrespect the natural world and our nonhuman brethren, the more we become disconnected spiritually-- and in the end, this will be the most detrimental human "disease." It will effect us all, and there will be no form of animal testing to "cure" that.

[Michelle Vi]

02:20 PM on 04/27/2012

I completely agree. As much as it would pain me to see my loved ones die, I would not want to watch other innocent creatures being tortured for the slight chance it may save my loved one. I would sooner give up my own life to save them than torture others. I'm all for medical advancement when it isn't hurting any other living creature. But I also feel extremely debatable whether or not these cancer treatments do or will ever work, and I also believe that there are many natural healers in the wild, or at the very least things that can help to prevent disease. Of course, it is life that even those who treat their bodies extremely well can and do suffer from disease but this is not a reflection on their lifestyle but on life itself. Living an unhealthy lifestyle will only increase your odds of suffering from ill health. So we should be focusing on holistic treatments and prevention, love and compassion, instead of our idea of quick fixes which aren't certain to heal us.

[KatK]

01:19 PM on 04/26/2012

She is my hero!!!!

[dtroppy]

12:38 PM on 04/26/2012

Watching that video just made me incredibly sad to think that so many animals endure that torture. I'm so grateful for the artist that made this video.... great job...

[Mathilda Pollack]

04:53 AM on 04/26/2012

reported the International Business Times.

http://www.essentialbodyimaging.com/

[DoctorDirector]

03:21 AM on 04/26/2012

GOOD FOR HER. This is a fantastic, brave, and necessary statement.

[Andrew Harvey]

03:01 AM on 04/26/2012

Better that they be tested than not.

[IrieMoon]

11:26 AM on 04/26/2012

For cosmetic purposes?

Wow.

[Andrew Harvey]

02:31 AM on 04/28/2012

in the 1800's, women used to put arsenic on their faces because it had the effect of lightening their skin tone. Thanks to animal testing, we know better now.

[tallul]

12:44 PM on 04/26/2012

this is not about medicine, its about toothpaste and mascara...really worth torturing and killing thousands of animals? When it is not even necessary, plenty of cosmetic companies operate with out animal testing.

[Andrew Harvey]

08:54 PM on 04/26/2012

Only because they use formulations that have already been proven non-toxic through animal testing.

[commento]

06:57 PM on 04/25/2012

It is not right for animals to be "sacrificed' for the sake of human vanity.

[olitenup]

06:16 PM on 04/25/2012

That animal testing is done on our creatures, for vanity, is a sin. God did not put those animals on this earth for corporations to torture them, on behalf of women's looks.

Shame on any human being that supports animal abuse to look good in a mirror. What a trite and shallow human being you are, if you buy beauty products tested on animals.

[KatK]

01:21 PM on 04/26/2012

Well said!