Anyone involved in the production, processing and retailing of dairy, meat, poultry, eggs and seafood has at least one thing in common – the potential to be targeted by extreme animal rights organizations, says Abby Kornegay of the Animal Agriculture Alliance.
“It can be hard to hear comments coming from those opposed to animal agriculture, but it is important to monitor their activity and stay vigilant in whatever tactics may be coming next,” says Kornegay.
Here’s a look back at animal activism in the headlines of pork industry news in 2023.
Animal Activist and Former Baywatch Star Found Not Guilty in ‘Open Rescue’
Former “Baywatch” star Alexandra Paul and animal rights activist Alicia Santurio were found not guilty of misdemeanor theft by a Merced County jury on March 17 after they “rescued” two chickens from a Foster Farms truck in Livingston, Calif., in September 2021. This is the latest of several trials, and more trials will be held throughout 2023. The next one will take place in Sonoma County, Calif.Animal Rights Activist Found Guilty of Felony and Two Misdemeanors
Animal rights activist Wayne Hsiung was found guilty of one felony and two misdemeanor charges after nearly a week of deliberations before a Sonoma County jury. The charges are in connection with poultry farm “open rescues” that took place at Sunrise Farms in 2018 and Reichardt Duck Farm in 2019, both outside Petaluma, Calif.Animal Activists Are Waging War in Your Backyard (Opinion piece by Jennifer Shike)
I kept a bit of distance as I approached the site of my first animal activist rally. I watched two people huddled beside a small megaphone and a bag, checking their phones constantly. As the clock struck the advertised time for this group to make their announcements, I leaned in anticipating what would happen next. Nothing. About 15 minutes later, two more joined. They pulled out a banner and signs from the bag. Another 15 minutes passed and the group, now up to five, started walking. As I followed the group, I realized I was listening to students uneducated about modern livestock production and abiding by a playbook from a known animal activist organization.- Pork is Under Pressure (Opinion piece by Abby Kornegay)
Having consumer choice is a great privilege and something I feel proud to be a part of working in agriculture and food production. However, this small (but loud) group of animal rights extremists and vegan activists are working hard to eliminate choice. They are doing so by applying intense pressure to restaurant, retail and foodservice brands.
Animal Rights Extremist Connections and Tactics Updated in New Reports
Do you know what the Top 5 targeted states are for animal rights activists? The answer may surprise you. California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Washington are the most targeted states. The U.S. is the second most targeted country behind the United Kingdom. This kind of information and more are part of two new reports released from the Animal Agriculture Alliance.Activists Continue to ‘Storm the Courts’ (Opinion piece by Abby Kornegay)
In October of 2022, activists affiliated with Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) – one of the most extreme groups we follow – went to trial in Utah after the theft of two piglets from a farm location several years earlier. Both defendants, Wayne Hsiung, DXE founder, and Paul Pickelsimer, DXE core team member, were found not guilty. This verdict was surprising to members of the agricultural community as the charges seemed very straightforward. However, when jurors were interviewed after the fact, it was revealed that their decision was ultimately because they thought the defendants, “just looked to do what was right.”In Their Own Words: Animal Activists Speak Out
The Animal Agriculture Alliance works diligently to safeguard the future of animal agriculture and its value to society by monitoring the activity of animal rights extremists. Several of these extremist groups convened this past year for their annual conferences, discussing new tactics and strategies they plan to use against animal agriculture to rally around their missions of “total animal liberation.” While animal rights supporters make up an incredibly small percentage of our population, they are loud and aggressive and can mislead consumers about the animal agriculture community’s commitment to animal welfare, sustainability and other key topics.
