Animal rights activists block Melbourne CBD amid protests at abattoirs around Australia | World news

Category: Political Protests,Politics Vegan activists blocked the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets in the heart of Melbour...

Category: Political Protests,Politics

Vegan activists blocked the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets in the heart of Melbourne on Monday morning, hours after police had broken up a protest at a Queensland abattoir.

The Melbourne protesters chained themselves to vehicles, preventing trams and cars from getting through. Images on social media showed dozens of people lined up across the street.

3AW Melbourne (@3AW693)

This is what the intersection outside Flinders Street Station looks like right now... pic.twitter.com/YVwQpdkBHC

April 7, 2019

ABC Melbourne (@abcmelbourne)

Animal activists are causing massive disruptions in Melbourne today. 11 tram routes and major intersections, including Flinders St/Swanston St, have been blocked. It's part of a national protest about the treatment of animals in agriculture. pic.twitter.com/jIT5S1Ec9B

April 7, 2019

There were also unconfirmed reports of protests at abattoirs at Laverton and Pakenham South.

Seven News reported that activists were also locked on to a truck at the entrance to Westside Meat in Bacchus Marsh.

In Queensland, about 20 animal rights campaigners descended on the Warwick abattoir and chained themselves to equipment before police were called to remove them on Monday.

Up to 200 others remained outside the the facility, protesting against what they said was the barbaric slaughter of sheep and pigs.

The protest was over by about 5.30am, about two hours after police were called to a break-in at the property.

Pat Mitchell (@patty_mitchell)

Protestors are setting up a tv, playing a doco on the treatment of animals. Intersection of Swanston and Flinders still blocked but diversions are in place. @3AW693 pic.twitter.com/HFTyaqoPf3

April 7, 2019

Brad King, from the activist group Farm Animal Rescue, was among those at the protest and said animals slaughtered at the site had endured terrifying deaths.

“There are numerous occasions where they’re not stunned properly, but even when they are, the footage unequivocally demonstrates that it’s impossible to ‘humanely’ kill an animal who desperately doesn’t want to die,” he said in a statement.

On Sunday, the state agriculture minister, Mark Furner, said he’d had a “gutful” of activists putting farms at risk and said new regulations were being drafted to allow police and agriculture ministers to issue protesters with on-the-spot fines.

The Department of Agriculture will also form a taskforce with the state police intelligence unit to try and prevent animal activism attacks on farmers.

The National Farmers Federation CEO, Tony Mahar, said Australian farmers were “rightly apprehensive as to what Monday may bring” amid reports vegan activists may target poultry operations in either Windsor near Sydney or Mangrove Mountain on the NSW central coast.

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