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Müller Protestors Given Conditional Discharges and Fines at Bristol Magistrates Court

Five Animal Rising campaigners have been sentenced at Bristol Magistrates Court today (23/10/25) after being found guilty of aggravated trespass. Each of them was given a 9-month conditional discharge, ordered to pay £200 compensation to Müller, and a £26 victim surcharge. Additional court costs between them came to £634.

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  • They initially had their cases dismissed after a different trial group facing the same charges was dismissed due to lack of evidence, but a successful appeal from the CPS meant their trial was rescheduled.

  • A sixth defendant facing the same charge of aggravated trespass was found not guilty today.

  • They all took part in Animal Rising’s “Stop the Supply” Dairy Campaign in September 2022, in which Müller’s Bridgwater 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].


Campaigners took part in Animal Rising’s week of anti-dairy campaigning in 2022 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.


Significantly reducing the size of the dairy industry represents a huge opportunity to reduce methane emissions which would not just avoid further warming of the atmosphere, but bring about a cooling effect [4]. Scientists have just last week called for rapid cooling to 1.2 degrees to avoid warm water coral reefs being wiped out as the first catastrophic climate tipping point is reached [5].


Catherine Cannon, 47, an English teacher from Somerset and one of those convicted said:

“Modernising our food system offers such great potential for bringing about the rapid cooling needed to reduce the severity of extreme weather, save so many species of animals and plants from being wiped out, and restore our food security. It is vitally important that the industry recognises that it’s in their interest to move to sustainable alternatives.”
“As our food systems move towards intensification we see more animals suffering, more farmers suffering, and worse outcomes for nature. We need Emma Reynolds, the new Agricultural Secretary, to lead a transition to a safe and sustainable plant-based food system that offers farmers and the public a positive alternative.”

Since the protests in 2022, the dairy industry has undergone further intensification. Despite nearly 200 dairy farmers quitting over the past year, production volumes continue to increase [6]. Muller has faced anger from farmers for dropping farms that fail to intensify [7]. Those remaining in dairy farming face a tough period ahead after significant drops in milk prices and shortages of hay and straw expected this winter [8]. Now is the perfect time for our government to offer serious support for farmers to refocus on plant-based production.


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 [9].


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


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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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