BREAKING: Six animal advocates facing 10 years in prison for defending innocent calves just won full acquittal in the UK Supreme Court.
In 2022, 6 activists with @AnimalRising peacefully blocked a private road outside of Muller Dairy, the largest milk distributor in the UK. The company had been implicated in disturbing violence toward defenseless calves, including body slamming them, kicking/punching them in the head, and denying them access to food and water. This photo was shot by @ajpReact at a Muller farm.
The goal of the protest, which disrupted the business for 4 hours, was to highlight the abuses of factory farming and push for a plant-based future.
The UK government took no action against Muller, but it did charge the activists under a new statute passed in 2022 targeting protesters with severe penalties. Actions that should have been a low-level trespass suddenly became a "Crown Court offense" (the US equivalent of a felony) that could land each of the activists in prison for up to 10 years.
But in a shocking development, the trial court tossed out the prosecution and said the statute was intended to protect the "public" and not a private corporation, like Muller. Today, the UK Supreme Court upheld that decision.
I don't think anyone thought that the animal advocates could win in court, much less in the highest court of the land. They were defending the most powerless beings in our society—babies ripped from their mothers and prepared for slaughter—and they were going up against an economic giant.
And yet they did win. And there will be many more wins to come. Because the closer we look at what happens to the most defenseless beings, the more we realize that our entire system is broken.
And the more we demand change.
Sadly the BTW giant boars home is slipping away 😔
We need everyone to get on board or this will fail and that doesn't bear thinking about. 🔽
Can you please help @JohnOberg ?
(1/3) When #Danes saw a #whale stranded in #Hobro they didn't say “Let’s kill it & put it in our freezer”→They rescued her & Earned Worldwide Respect! .@Tinganes Pls stop killing #PilotWhales. Thank you Video→https://t.co/UgTyyZf1UA #Tinganes#Faroes
#PM@jonasgahrstore#Norway,
Will you take into consideration the findings of the Food & Veterinary Authority of Iceland & reconsider Norway’s #whaling in light of the findings? It will help save #ecosystems & be good for the #climate too.
Faroe Islands has one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world (~$70k+). Wealthy, modern society with supermarkets & imports. No one needs to drive entire pods to shore for survival anymore. Tradition or habit? @Tinganes#StopTheGrind
Faroese health authorities advise limiting whale meat due to high mercury, PCBs & pollutants. Yet they continue mass kills. Much meat reportedly wasted or dumped. How is this sustainable or responsible? https://t.co/gOAdpOFQG2 Graphic ⚠️ @Tinganes#StopTheGrind