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NOT GUILTY: Animal Rising Campaigners Receive Verdict in Dairy Blockade Trial


Three defendants have been found not guilty of public nuisance in Worcester Crown Court, a significant outcome in the sixth trial that has emerged from Animal Rising’s campaign in 2022 which raised awareness of the impact of the dairy industry. A fourth defendant tried under a different charge was found guilty last week and sentenced today.

  • Three supporters of Animal Rising were found not guilty at Worcester Crown Court today, (09/06/25) in the sixth and final trial for actions taken in September 2022, during Animal Rising’s “Stop the Supply” Dairy Campaign. 

  • The three were accused of public nuisance after taking part in a blockade of Müller’s Droitwich site [1].

  • One other supporter was found guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal damage in the same trial last week (04/06/25). Today, he was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work, an £800 fine and an unspecified victim surcharge.

  • The protest was part of two weeks of nationwide protests by Animal Rising which saw dairy trucks immobilised and milk shortages across supermarket shelves [2] [3].


The campaigners highlighted the dairy industry’s impact on the climate and nature crises as the basis for their actions.


Claudia Penna Rojas, Animal Rising spokesperson, said:

“Over a hundred people took a stand against the dairy industry by joining our campaign in 2022 - it’s an industry that forcibly impregnates cows, separates mothers from their calves, and sends millions of animals to slaughter each year. Animal agriculture doesn’t just harm animals, it fuels the climate and ecological crises, pollutes our air and water, and endangers human health.
Today in court, a jury recognised the power and urgency of speaking out against the dairy industry and the harm it causes, finding these defendants not guilty. This verdict sends a clear signal: speaking out against systemic animal abuse and environmental destruction is not a crime. When the stakes are as high as this, it’s a moral necessity.
The only sustainable path forward is a transition to a just, plant-based food system, one that reduces harm, protects our planet, and provides food security for us all.”

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 [4].


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: 421High-Quality Pictures and Videos: https://show.pics.io/animal-rising-breaking-newsAll images and videos in this file, on our social media, and website can be used with credit to Animal Rising under ‘fair use’ for the purposes of reporting.For more information or further comments, please contact:Emma (Press Back Office)  +44 1225 29 6691press@animalrising.org


Notes to the Editor:



 
 
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