Trespassing, felony burglary and conspiracy; activists are at it again

Imagine being a farmer going about your business on a Sunday afternoon, checking on your livestock or poultry. Suddenly, 200 animal rights activists descend upon your property, demanding access to your barns. They stick a camera in your face to capture your pleas for them to stop as they check every door until they find one that will open. Sound crazy?Unfortunately, this exact scenario played out on a Petaluma, CA broiler farm at the end of September. And it wasn’t the first time – you may recall extremist group Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) holding a similar “mass rescue” on a California egg farm in May with 500 protestors. That time, they were able to steal 37 hens and around 40 activists were arrested. They took advantage of the fact that local law enforcement wasn’t prepared to face this type of incident, and also intentionally misled officials on the scene about what they call their “legal right” to enter farms and take animals.This time, local law enforcement was ready to respond quickly and firmly to prevent escalation. Activists had gotten their hands on six birds but were only able to leave with one. A total of 58 arrests were made for suspicion of trespassing, felony burglary and felony conspiracy, and bail was set at $20,000 for each person – an indication of just how seriously the Sherriff’s Department is taking this issue.