A form of animal rights activism which is 'darker' and 'more insidious' is a 'serious concern' for pig producers, a leading industry figure has said.
National Pig Association (NPA) policy officer, Lizzie Wilson gave the pig industry’s perspective on the rise of vegan activism during a BBC feature on Monday (11 February).
She was interviewed for the BBC East Midlands Inside Out programme, which looked at the rising popularity of veganism.
It looked at the increase in activism, including protests at abattoirs, incursions on farms, daubing graffiti on farm shops and ‘liberating’ pigs from farms. Activists and farmers were interviewed in the 10-minute feature.
While only a relatively small selection of her comments were used, she managed to explain that, as veganism is becoming more popular, this sort of activism is becoming more frequent.
“This darker, more insidious form of animal rights activism is a serious concern for us,” she said.
“Everyone has the right to protest peacefully. It is when it becomes very aggressive and intimidating and when there are lies and propaganda used to further their agenda.”
The feature showed footage of a pig being ‘liberated’ from a farm, something Ms Wilson said was becoming increasingly common.
“The person liberating the pig – we don’t know if they have knowledge or experience of caring for pigs and their welfare. When it is claimed on social media to be an act of compassion, it could be very much the opposite,” she said.
The programme follows news of a vegan activist group launching an online map which shows the addresses and contact numbers of dairy farms in the UK.
And last year, campaigners demanded that the ancient Dorset village of Wool changes its name to 'Vegan Wool', claiming it promotes sheep cruelty.
