LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 3, 2002 - 3A GRTE Protesters take aim at primate research Female becomes unconscious after overdose A female passed out on a bench in front of Mary Markley Residence Hall yesterday morning, according to Department of Public Safety reports. Huron Valley Ambulance determined that the victim was suffering from fatigue brought on by an overdose of medication and did not transfer her. No statements made after man hits woman DPS officers saw a male hit a female at the Taubman Health Care Center bus stop Saturday morning, reports state. Both people refused to give statements. -: { Hospital releases belligerent man. An angry patient started throwing things Saturday night at University Hospital, according to DPS reports. He was signed out and a cab was called for him. Missing purse tossed in trash A woman reported Friday morning that her unattended purse was stolen on the Diag, DPS reports state. Upon returning home, the woman.realized she had thrown her purse out with her garbage that morning. Dorm residents get warning in South Quad . DPS officers reported to the eighth floor of South Quad Residence Hall Friday afternoon where water balloons were being thrown out of the window, according to DPS reports. Two resi- dents were advised not to repeat the behavior. Suspicious package turns out to be hangers There was a suspicious package at City Hall Friday night, DPS reports state. The owner requested K9 assis- tance. DPS officers opened the pack- age and found five plastichangers. The owner remembered that he had mailed himself the haners. i By Rob Goodspeed Daily Staff Reporter Three years following the last notable animal rights protest on campus, a group of 15 gathered Thursday on the Medical Campus to protest the use of thousands of animals across campus in research labs, including primates. Though primates make up less than 1 percent of research subjects in labs on campus, the University receives over $4 million in grants each year for research using primates., The protesters stood at the corner of Glen and Catherine streets, across from Angelo's Restaurant, holding signs with graphic photos of primates in laboratories. "These photos do not show U-M primates and none of them were taken in U-M research laborato- ries," University Health System said in a written statement. Stop Animal Exploitation Now Director Michael Budkie said the photos were taken in laboratories at the University of Wisconsin. "They accurately represent what happens here," Budkie said. The group has obtained documents from the University showing that animals have died from abuse in University laboratories, Budkie said, adding he has assisted in research using animals and that their condition might negate the studies' scientific value. "Because of what happens to pri- mates they develop bacterial ... infections," he said, adding that the results might be affected. The protest also drew attention from the Depart- ment of Public Safety. At least three DPS patrol cars were seen in the area, as well as two police officers on bicycles. "We have no reason to expect anything but peaceful demonstrations, but DPS is planning extra security, just in case," the statement said. Students and conununity members waiting at Angelo's Restaurant were surprised by the protest and the response from DPS. "It is kind of in your face," said LSA junior Katie Moore, who likened the graphic photos of animal test subjects to the photographs of aborted fetuses brought to campus in 2000 by the Genocide Aware- ness Project. "Their protest was successful," Moore added, as the University administration's attention helped draw attention to the protest. LSA Junior Kristina Burg was surprised at the police presence. "I wonder if it's kind of admitting guilt," Burg said. "This isn't the L.A. riots." But protesters said they were not surprised by the University's response. "I think that since we are challenging a deeply embedded institution whose members are held in high esteem they feel threatened," said Laura Rowl- son, a Metro Detroit animal-rights activist who organized the protest. She added the animal research position papers issued by the University are "outright propaganda." "There's a misconception that animal rights activists ... are a fringe element. We're not. We have been informed about the issues," Rowlson said, adding that protest organizers had been in contact with members of the Michigan Animal Rights Society, an animal rights student group on campus. University researchers conduct studies on a large number of animals - mostly rats and mice, but also a smaller number of primates. Medical Prof. James Woods, who researches drug addiction in rhesus monkeys, has received the brunt of criticism from animal rights groups. "He's our target here," Rowson said, adding she feels the studies Woods conducts are unnecessary. "There are duplicative studies ... several hun- dred very similar studies in the last several years, Rowson said. "The only people who will cite ani- mal research are other animal researchers." Budke said drug addiction experimentation on primates brings more than $2.5 million annually to the University. "The overwhelming amount of (University research) is mice and rats," said Howard Rush, director of the University's Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine. He added that National Primate Liberation Week had received press attention so the University decided to prepare material for reporters. Getting the word out Court of Appeals supports open hearings for Haddad By Jeremy Berkowitz Daily Staff Reporter The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision last week calling for open immigration hearings in the case of Ann Arbor Muslim leader Rabih Haddad, who has been detained on a visa violation since last December. "When the government begins clos- ing doors, it selectively controls infor- mation rightfully belonging to the people. Selective information is misin- formation," Judge Damon Keith wrote in a unanimous opinion that supported the April decision of U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds to open Had- dad's hearings. Haddad had three closed immigra- tion hearings before a lawsuit was filed calling for open hearings in his case. Several Detroit newspapers, the Michi- gan chapter of the American Civil Liber- ties Union and U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit) sued the federal government at the end of January. "We decided since we couldn't get in we needed to seek a remedy for that," Free Press Managing Editor Carole Leigh Hutton said in January. "The jus- tice system in this country was created to be open." The government defended keeping the hearings closed based on a 19th century U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave the government power to expel immigrants if the government felt they were "danger- ous to its peace and security." Last September, Chief Immigration Judge Michael Creppy sent a letter to all immigration judges calling for closure of immigration hearings that were of special interest and could threaten national security. But ACLU Legal Director Michael Steinberg said the government does not have power over the actual hearings themselves. "If Congress decides to limit immi- gration from a certain country, there is very little judges can do," Steinberg said. "In this case, we are not talking about a substantive immigration law. We are talking about whether hearings shall be open." The three judges who presided over the case sided with the plaintiffs saying the government does not have control over court procedure, like closing hear- ings to the media. "... The Supreme Court has repeatedly allowed for meaningful judicial review of non-substantive immigration laws where constitutional rights are involved," the decision stated. The government is undecided about whether they would appeal the decision, Justice Department spokeswoman Barbara Comstock said last week. "The Justice Department dis- agrees with the Court's conclusion that the department's guidelines for deter- mining which proceedings should be closed are too broad," Comstock said. "The Justice Department has an obliga- tion to exercise all available options to disrupt and prevent terrorism within the bounds of the Constitution and will review today's opinion in light of our duty to protect the American people." Haddad, whose Global Relief Foun- dation charity is under investigation, has been in the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service since his arrest. In May, it was discovered that Nabil Sayadi, European director of Global Relief, was once acquainted with a personal aide to Osama bin Laden. Despite alleged ties between bin Laden and Global Relief, Muslim Stu- dent Association Vice President Omar Khalil, an Engineering junior, said many in the Muslim community still believe Haddad is innocent. Haddad was transferred back to the Monroe County Jail in June so he could be closer to his family. JOHN PRATT/Daily John Zvonek, Roland Gardner and T. J. Waldofsky of the Student Organization Resource Center hang billboards throughout campus yesterday. Construction work still WANT TO DO WHAT WE DO? JOIN US AT 420 MAYNARD $T. Child left in car classes b on Monroe Street-underway as aegin with mother away y Jefr "M"iSt a' f :.. :: ::;