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Animal activists find new ways to harass livestock producers
Kay Johnson Smith of the Animal Agriculture Alliance discusses activist threats during the organization’s virtual stakeholders summit.The president and CEO of the Animal Agriculture Alliance, Kay Johnson Smith, says animal rights activists have adopted some new tactics to harass livestock producers.
“More recently we’ve seen mass protests where hundreds of activists are showing up on farms,” Johnson Smith says. “They’re stealing animals in the dead of the night, and sometimes in broad daylight, and they’re very proud of it. They’re livestreaming their efforts and posting it all over social media.”
She says there have also been reports of activists “stalking” truck drivers as they haul animals from farms to processing plants, or from farm to farm.
“They’re trying to find opportunities to stop those truckers to interact with the animals. They’re holding vigils outside of the trucks and asking if they can just give food or water or pet the animals inside the truck. It creates a lot of concerns, not only for the animals, but also for the truck drivers.”
Johnson Smith discussed activist threats during the Animal Ag Alliance’s virtual stakeholders summit on Friday.
