Animal Rising grovels for donations after activists sentenced for £100k damage at dairy site

Extreme animal rights group, Animal Rising, have issued a grovelling plea for donations after a Hertfordshire court fined 13 of its activists a total of £56,875 for conspiring to cause damage at the Hatfield site of Arla Foods in 2022.

The successful sentencing, which followed an extensive investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary, has been praised by the Countryside Alliance.

On 8 September 2022, several members of the protest group Animal Rising- then known as Animal Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion- broke into a dairy distribution centre, causing some £100,000 worth of damage in 20 minutes.

The group, which supports a ‘plant-based transition’ and ‘mass rewilding’, claims that some 350 stores were impacted by the action, resulting in milk shortages and empty shelves.

Officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Public Order Crime Team arrested and charged 14 people with conspiracy to cause criminal damage. One of these fled the country following the expiration of their visa, and an arrest warrant remains outstanding.

St Albans Crown Court heard how some of those who entered the site used cordless drills to make holes in the tyres of lorries waiting at the yard, and bolt cutters to cut off the air valves in what was described as a ‘planned and deliberate’ incident.

Eight people pleaded guilty to the offences and were sentenced across two hearings on Wednesday 31 July and Monday 5 August.

Five people pleaded not guilty to the offences and were convicted by a jury following a three-week trial.

According to the police, five further suspects were arrested in connection with the incident but failed to answer their bail having fled to the Czech Republic, and their arrest warrants remain outstanding.

On top of the collective fines, the thirteen defendants also received sentences totalling 1,550 hours of community service and 168 months sentencing, suspended.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, External Affairs Director for the Countryside Alliance, welcomed the sentencing.

He said:

“This so-called action was nothing more than blatant hooliganism and vandalism. It is right that the offenders have been brought to justice. The public are sick and tired of seeing disruption caused by a handful of obsessive, warped activists and it is commendable that Hertfordshire Constabulary pursued this case so rigorously.”

He added:

“Dairy is enjoyed by the vast bulk of people in this country who appreciate the health benefits that come with it. If people want to drink plant-based alternatives, that's their right, but these activists should not inflict their dietary preferences on anyone else”.

Animal Rising have since issued a statement on social media begging for money to help pay for the costs.

A spokesperson for the organisation blamed the previous government’s “harsh new protest laws” and dubbed the sentencing as “excessive”.

Following sentencing, Inspector Donna Norris, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Public Order Crime Team and Senior Investigating Officer, said: “The sentences passed down by the courts are a culmination of nearly two years’ worth of work in what has been a challenging and complex investigation.

“These 13 defendants turned up at a dairy distribution centre and caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage. They were protesting around climate change and animal welfare and, regardless of your views on the topic, this does not mean you can take the law into your own hands and damage property belonging to others.

“This was a pre-planned incident, with much of it filmed and posted on social media. I hope these sentences will reassure the public that we will deal with matters such as these seriously, and that offenders will be brought to justice.”

The judge also awarded a commendation to Inspector Norris and her colleague Detective Constable Chris Aherne for their work throughout the complex case.

This story has been covered by Farmers Weekly and Farming UK