Last week, six animal rights activists were sentenced for aggravated trespass, after bringing milk supplies to a halt at a dairy site back in 2022.

The protesters, part of fringe group “Animal Rising” – then known as Animal Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion – blockaded lorries, leading to temporary milk shortages in some retailers across the UK.

Each of the activists were handed a £666 compensation order, payable to Müller, a £114 victim surcharge, and 60 hours of unpaid community work.

Though they were originally acquitted in January last year, due to insufficient evidence, the six were subsequently found guilty, after the Crown Prosecution Service successfully appealed the decision in March this year.

One of the activists, explaining their actions, stated: “It is vitally important that the industry recognises that it’s in their interest to move to sustainable alternatives”. Another of the convicted activists termed the dairy industry “extremely harmful”.

Animal Rising describes itself as “a social movement” that calls for the transition to a “plant-based food system” and “a mass rewilding programme”.

Commenting on last week’s sentencing, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said:

“It is right that the offenders have been brought to justice. The public are fed up of being impacted by a handful of obsessive and warped activists.

“Dairy is enjoyed by the vast bulk of the public, and any attempt to disrupt the supply chain must be met with the full force of the law.”

The criminal activities were part of the group’s “stop the supply” action in 2022, which saw them target several dairy processors.

At Arla Foods’ Hatfield site, activists broke into the dairy distribution centre and caused £100,000 worth of damage in 20 minutes. Some of those who entered the site used drills to make holes in the tyres of lorries waiting in the yard, and bolt cutters to cut off the air valves in what was described as a “planned and deliberate” incident.

A Hertfordshire court then fined 13 of the activists a total of £56,785 for conspiracy to cause damage. This followed an extensive investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary, that saw a number of suspects flee the country to the Czech Republic.

The Countryside Alliance will continue to call for robust enforcement of the law to clamp down on harmful and disruptive animal rights activism.