It's very easy to be an anonymous face in the crowd at a large rally or demonstration in support of a greater cause or principle. It's another thing to step forward and put yourself and the people you care about on the line because of what you believe.

Oxford- and other medical research institutions in the UK- have been the target of terrorists who are campaigning against animal testing. While there are many reasonable, law-abiding people who are animal rights campaigners, the terrorists make it extremely hard for any proper debate to take place. Their tactics have included death threats, lies, grave-robbing (the owners of a company which raised lab animals had their gradmother's body exhumated and stolen), and closest to home, the Hertford College boathouse was burnt down. They have threatened that anyone connected with the University of Oxford is not safe as long as Oxford continues the use animals in its experiments.

I've yet to hear a compelling argument against animal testing. I believe animal testing saves lives. I know the UK has the most stringent rules in the world concerning the conduct of tests. I realise that almost every medicine I use has had some component of animal testing. I don't like it, but I believe it's necessary.

Today E- put forward a motion for our MCR to support PRO-TEST, a group which is leading the campaign to support animal testing, and to support animal testing in UK in general. We had an impassioned debate about it. I think there was a lot of fear about being targeted by animal rights protesters as a result of this resolution, but as E pointed out, they targeted us anyway by burning our boathouse down, without even knowing who we are. There was also debate about whether it was right to pass a resolution that individual members of the MCR disagreed with, but the MCR does that all the time, and the motion had been publicised three days before the meeting, so there was plenty of notice for anyone who objected to come to the meeting to speak and vote.

When it came time to vote, I put my hand up and voted with the majority to pass the resolution. I don't deny that I am worried for my safety and my friends' safety, but we cannot let ourselves be intimidated by terrorists who seek to undermine our way of life. If they think they can hijack the debate, impose their own agenda, and ignore democracy and the rule of law, then we have to stand up and show them that they are wrong. It would have been easy to keep my hand down- and I don't blame anyone who did, they have their own, valid reasons- but I felt it was important to stand up for the principle that I believe in.

Still, at the back of my mind I'm a little worried. But I had to make a choice. I could stand up for what I believe to be right and moral. Or I could keep my head down and avoid the issue. I made my choice. I will have to live with the consequences.

When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
- Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)