SkyNews
By Sky News SkyNews - 2 hours 42 minutes ago

Spain's parliament is set to approve a new law giving the right to life and freedom to apes.

If passed, the new legislation would make it illegal to keep apes for use in animal experiments, circuses, television commercials and filming.

It is thought to be the first time any national parliament has called for such rights for non-humans.

The move would be all the more surprising given longstanding criticism of Spain by animal rights groups over the treatment of bulls and donkeys.

The Spanish parliament's environmental committee has now approved resolutions to comply with the Great Apes Project, devised by scientists and philosophers who say our closest genetic relatives deserve rights hitherto limited to humans.

Pedro Pozas, Spanish director of the Great Apes Project, said: "This is a historic day in the struggle for animal rights and in defence of our evolutionary comrades, which will doubtless go down in the history of humanity."

The legislation would represent the latest step towards a liberal society for a country traditionally seen as having conservative values.

Spain did not legalise divorce until the 1980s, but Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government has legalised gay marriage, reduced the influence of the Catholic Church in education and set up an Equality Ministry.

The new resolutions have cross-party or majority support and are expected to become law.

The government is now committed to updating the statute book within a year to outlaw harmful experiments on apes in Spain.

Mr Pozas said: "We have no knowledge of great apes being used in experiments in Spain, but there is currently no law preventing that from happening."

Keeping an estimated 315 apes in Spanish zoos will not be illegal, but supporters of the Bill say conditions will need to improve drastically in 70% of establishments to comply with the new law.

Philosophers Peter Singer and Paola Cavalieri founded the Great Ape Project in 1993, arguing that "non-human hominids" like chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans and bonobos should enjoy the right to life, freedom and not to be tortured.

This has made my day.

Ideologically, I am of the opinion that all animals should have these rights, and I dislike the utilitarian faction of the AR movement (mainly Peter Singer) for creating a species hierarchy with decreasing emphasis on rights the less human-like a species is.

But this is still, wonderful news, especially coming from a country like Spain as the article says. And I do recognise that apes suffer more from exploitation than other non-human animals as a result of their greater mental capacity. Hopefully other governments will follow.

SkyNews
By Sky News SkyNews - 2 hours 42 minutes ago

Oooh Ooh is keynote speaker for ape-right Celebration

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO – Ape rights activist and female ape harvester Oooh Ooh will join the Congo rainforest community in celebrating the Spanish decision Thursday (27/06) at 7 p.m. at the big palm tree, next to de-forestation zone 34. Ooh will deliver the keynote address for the celebration that will also feature the King Kong Screeching Choir and special appearances by Dr. Zaius, Cornelius and Curious George. The event is free and open to the public.

“We wanted to have someone who embodied the spirit of the Ape Civil Rights Movement,” said Bubbles, director of Congo National Park Ape Cultural Center. “While the event has featured many outstanding gibbers over the years, bringing Oooh Ooh to the rainforest community will be one of our high points. We hope this choice will really resonate with the apes.”

Ooh Ooh emerged on the ape gibber scene in the early 1960s and used his social satire to change the way Spain perceived Apes. Inspired by the work of Albert II, the first monkey in space, he used his celebrity status to fight intra-species and social injustices, and co-authored Albert II: The Scientific Experiments of Albert II, published in 1977.

Ooh Ooh's political concerns have since broadened on a global scale to include issues such as banana prices, definitions of personhood, ape monogamy, and poor canopy care. An outspoken critic of the rock band the 'Gorillaz', he has initiated more than 100 banana fasts for social causes over the years.

The event is one of several that will culminate on the official day of celebration on June. 27.

this made my day, as well!

this will make people think, and there's no doubt in my mind that other countries will follow suit.

equality for all: it will take time, effort, and people standing up to ridicule. i believe it will happen, maybe not in my lifetime.

Is this some sort of ploy to rile up Gibraltarians?

I think this is all pretty cool. I smiled and pretty much giggled while reading.

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wow that's pretty good. now if spain would just stop bull-fighting that would be epic.

hmmmm, the last time spain were politically in the headlines was for having an evenly split male/female government cabinet.

must. resist. incredibly. sexist. joke.

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Would you like a cigarette? They're quite exellent.

It is common knowledge that Spain loves the movie "planet of the apes"

and a Few Spain influencial people want to able to legally marry a ape, monkey etc.


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