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Hung Jury in Müller Dairy Blockade Trial

Writer's picture: Animal Rising PressAnimal Rising Press

Updated: Jan 23

A jury has been unable to reach a verdict after three days’ deliberation at a trial where Animal Rising campaigners stood accused of public nuisance and criminal damage at Worcester Crown Court. The defendants had argued the impact of the dairy industry on the climate crisis and the suffering of animals within the industry justified their actions in 2022.


  • The trial of seven Animal Rising supporters concluded today (22/01/25) with a hung jury.

  • They faced charges after taking part in Animal Rising’s “Stop the Supply” Dairy Campaign in September 2022, in which Müller’s Droitwich site was blockaded by protestors [1]. 

  • The protest was part of a week of nationwide Animal Rising actions at Müller, Freshways and Arla Foods’ dairy facilities, which saw dairy trucks immobilised and milk shortages on supermarket shelves [2] [3].

  • One defendant was found not guilty of assault and not guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, but was found guilty of criminal damage. Before trial, another defendant had pleaded guilty to public nuisance and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

  • The remaining five defendants are due to stand trial again in 2026 after the jury could not reach a majority verdict on the charges of public nuisance and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

  • The defendants argued the devastating effects of animal agriculture on the climate crisis justified their actions.

  • Last month, six campaigners were found guilty of public nuisance and criminal damage charges related to the same dairy distribution campaign at the Müller Droitwich site [4].


Campaigners took part in Animal Rising’s week of anti-dairy campaigning to generate a public discussion of the dairy industry’s role in the climate emergency. Animal Rising’s stance is that animal agriculture is an unsustainable food system if we are to avoid climate disaster, maintain food security and restore Britain’s depleted biodiversity.


Orla Coghlan, Animal Rising spokesperson, said:


“People joined this campaign after seeing the suffering of animals within the dairy industry, and because the impact of animal agriculture on our planet’s health is undeniable. We are reaching the point of no return if we want to avoid a food supply crisis and global devastation. 


The climate emergency can only be halted through widespread change - this includes a switch away from animal agriculture to a more sustainable plant-based food system. Repeated studies have shown a move towards plant-based can only benefit our environment - but while this science is ignored, we will continue to take action and draw attention to this crisis.”


A 2023 study by Oxford University, backed up other previous studies, showed that a plant-based diet has the lowest impact on the environment in all areas analysed, including emissions, land-use, water-use and biodiversity loss [5].


Call or email our press office +44 1225 29 6691 / press@animalrising.org for comment and further information.

Animal Rising is a social movement to create a new relationship with all beings and give us a chance for a safe ecological future. The group primarily calls for the transition to a secure and sustainable plant-based food system, alongside a mass rewilding programme. 


ENDS


Word count: 518

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For more information or further comments, please contact:

Emma (Press Back Office)  +44 1225 29 6691


Notes to the Editor:




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