The group, who call themselves Violence Free Science, claim the experiments are being carried out at the University of Sussex and held the demo in its Library Square yesterday afternoon.
It believes scientifically viable alternatives to live animal testing
are available and said it wants to work with the university and others
to put an end to the work.
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A spokesman said: "A step-by-step plan, looking at existing research as case studies, will be formulated and put forward to the university.
"Not only is this on ethical grounds but also on scientific grounds, as there are over 400 alternative methods to the use of animals in research, all of which are proven to be more successful and relevant to human health, as pointed out by our scientific advisor.
"Eventually, we hope the University of Sussex can become at the forefront of cutting edge research - without the use of animals, and set a precedent for all other universities to follow.
"This is both an exciting step forward for science and a more morally sound step forward for animal welfare."