EVERETT, Wash. -- Anger and calls for action Wednesday from animal rights protestors.

That following our exclusive KIRO Team 7 Investigation into a monkey that was boiled alive inside an Everett drug-research company.

Reporter Chris Halsne spent months detailing that death (and a number of other primate abuses) that sparked Wednesday’s rally.

The masks. The shouts. The monkey killer signs. Those are all part of the theatrics of getting people’s attention here in downtown Seattle. The focus of this protest is aimed at the Japanese consulate inside this building.

KIRO Team 7 Investigators first aired a series of reports earlier this month, detailing how a Japanese owned company , SNBL, has been caught repeatedly in documented violations of the federal animal welfare act.

In addition, we went undercover inside the Everett-based laboratory. Along the way, we confirmed that a healthy female macaque monkey was left trapped in her cage last November- then run through a 180 degree rack-washer and scalded to death.

Animal Rights Advocate, Claudine Erlandson says she watched our investigation in horror and had to come to the protest to help.

“I was appalled. I went through all types of emotions because this little monkey died in terrible pain. I was happy you had this report to alert the public what was happening at that lab.”

Two dozen other protestors, operating under PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told us they want police to press ahead with criminal charges for SNBL employees involved in the boiled monkey death

PETA member, Nancy Pennington told KIRO Team 7 Investigators, “If this were a human baby, there would be such an outrage! Nobody would stand for it. But, because it's a primate, they've been allowed to get away with it and I hope they won't this time. I hope they will prosecute.”

Everett police tell KIRO-TV, detectives started a criminal investigation after seeing our story. They are looking into possible animal cruelty charges both against the people involved in the boiled monkey death and against the company.

While that process drags along, protestors here hope to put pressure on the Japanese government to, in turn, pressure SNBL to clean up its act.

“They have really taken a callous opinion for animals and for a company that has a mission statement that begins with ' the value of life' it seems wholly inconsistent,” says Primate Behavior Specialist, Dr. Debra Durham. “We hope the CEO puts a stop to it by firing those responsible.”

Halsne tracked down the man responsible for allegedly placing that monkey in the washer. He declined an on camera interview, but told us, he "quit" SNBL the day after the incident. He also says Everett police have not yet questioned him. Those familiar with this investigation assure KIRO-TV that will happen soon enough.

We talked to the senior-assistant to the general-consulate of Japan. He says SNBL is a private corporation and his government had not spoken with anyone at SNBL regarding animal care. SNBL denies it violated any federal laws in the boiled monkey death, calling incident "an unfortunate accident".