'Meat is murder': Farmer breaks down after 150 vegan protesters storm cattle farm
A distressed farmer has fought back tears after 150 vegan protesters stormed his family’s Southern Queensland property, chanting “meat is murder”.
Dressed in white overalls and black t-shirts that read “meat the victims”, representatives from the Animal Activists Collective stormed the feedlot and dairy farm in Lemontree at Millmerran, shortly before midday Saturday.
“You’re hurting animals here, we’re here to show the truth of what you’re hiding,” one protester can be heard screaming in response to a farmer shouting “get off my f***ing country”.
“The only reason you’re upset is because you’ve got something to hide.”
Dramatic footage of the protest shows the liberationists marching through property before cutting to shots of several dead cows lying on the ground.
The camera then turns to a visibly distressed farmer who explains “they were shot… humanely”.
“How do you humanely shoot a cow?” a protester can be heard replying before the farmer turns away in tears.
The group eventually dispersed once police arrived at the property, with no arrests made.
“No damage was sustained, there were no injuries or threats and therefore no arrests. However, investigations are continuing,” a Queensland police spokesperson told Yahoo7 News.
A van driven by a group of activists had its tyres slashed by an unknown, unregistered motorbike rider, which is reportedly being investigated by local police.
Lot feeder David McNamee described the experience as extremely distressing, saying he doesn’t know why they targeted his family’s business.
“We follow industry best practice, the safety of our staff and livestock are a priority – as well as adhering to the stringent biosecurity protocols for our industry,” he told Queensland Country Life.
‘They need to live vegan’
Protest leader Leah Doellinger said they hoped the peaceful protest would bring attention to what sort of life the animals are subjected to and the myths surrounding labels such as “cage free” and “organic”.
“The message we are sharing is simple; animals are here with us, not for us,” Ms Doellinger wrote.
“The truth continues to be censored from the public while the animal harming industry perpetuates the ‘humane myth’.
“Labels such as ‘cage free’, ‘free range’, ‘grass fed’, ‘organic’ and ‘local’ are used to deceive and mislead the public into believing animals are ‘humanely raised”
“By taking a strong moral stand, we hope to bring attention to this issue, in turn allowing people to ‘meat the victims’ of their choice, and see that while different to us, other animals are equal in their ability to feel like us”
“The animals do not need better welfare standards or conditions, they need to be liberated, they need people to live vegan”.
Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au.
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo7’s daily newsletter. Sign up here.
