James Cromwell Arrested For Protesting Cat Torture On UW-Madison Campus

Babe actor James Cromwell, 73, was arrested on Thursday morning while protesting the torture of cats on the University of Wisconsin campus. Also arrested with Cromwell was PETA spokesman Jeremy Beckham.

Cromwell and Beckham burst into a board meeting at UW-Madison to protest the use of cats for scientific purposes.

On its website, PETA posted the protest video along with the picture of a cat being tortured (pictured above). The photo shows a cat with metal implanted in its head; that image was used at the protest.

According to PETA, UW-Madison starves, deafens, and decapitates at least 30 cats annually. The cats are tortured and killed in the name of brain research for the hearing impaired.

UW-Madison board members deny that the university in any way tortures cats in the name of research.

As he protested, James Cromwell could be heard shouting:

“This is not science. This is cruel!”

After the men burst into the board room, the university’s regents simply ignored the protesters until police arrived to arrest them. The board of directors immediately continued on with their meeting after the men were hauled away in handcuffs.

Cromwell and Beckham are expected to face disorderly conduct charges.

The director of the UW–Madison Research Animal Resources Center offered the following statement:

“Today’s events are just another attempt by outside activists to draw attention to a cause. They have attacked and distorted this research — which has very real benefits for people who are deaf — from every angle imaginable.”

He added:

“Exhaustive independent investigation by the USDA, which regulates the use of animals in research, concluded that PETA’s allegations are baseless.”

No further details have been provided at this time.