Ugly clash between farmer and vegans ends with shots fired
Protests against the production of meat and the killing of animals have taken a serious and potentially dangerous turn in rural WA.
A clash between a Harvey farmer and two vegans from Direct Action Everywhere in WA has seen punches thrown and ended in gunfire.
In footage shared with 7News, a gun shot can be heard as the growing anger between vegan activists and primary producers reaches breaking point.
“He’s got a gun, don’t move,” a woman can be heard saying as a farmer shoots a rifle into the air.
Minutes earlier, farmer Jason Parravacini had approached James Warden and a colleague who were sitting on the road outside his property on Wednesday taking photos of the farmer’s cattle.
“Don’t come around my place. Take the camera out of my face,” Mr Parravacini can be heard saying.
Footage shows the farmer and vegans talking amicably at first.
“Look, if you don’t want to eat meat, by all means go and protest wherever you like,” the farmer says.
“I’m a primary producer, I’m feeding most of the world.
“A lot of people don’t complain, it’s only guys like you, so I suggest you move on.”
But the situation deteriorates quickly as the farmer starts to become aggressive.
“I’ll give her one minute to get rid of [the camera] or I’ll remove it from you,” Mr Parravacini can be heard saying in the clip.
“Call the cops, because this is ridiculous. Move on mate,” he continues.
“You get the f*** out of my place, get the f*** out of my place.”
Mr Parravacini then reaches into the car, appearing to make contact with Mr Warden.
The farmer then goes inside his house before emerging in his back yard.
“He’s got a gun, he just shot, he just shot bullets. He just shot bullets,” the protestors say, before noting it wasn’t aimed at them.
Mr Warden told 7News the incident was extremely concerning.
“It is dangerous, and these farming communities are an echo chamber for this kind of violence,” he said.
“It does not surprise me they are now targeting and acting in violence towards human beings.”
Mr Parravacini says he was provoked.
“They are just fabricating story after story, people have just had enough, if people want to be vegan by all means be vegan, that’s their choice but just leave us alone,” he said.
The clash is a serious development in a growing vegan protest movement that police are fully aware of.
Mr Parravacini has told the detectives investigating the incident that he regularly uses the shotgun for vermin control.
“Not for a minute would I want to hurt anyone else, you have to be crazy,” he said.
Police investigations continue. No charges have been laid.
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