Three people have been arrested after animal rights protesters scaled the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) building in central London, on Thursday morning, as they sought to draw attention to the bird flu crisis and intensive farming practices.
Two members of the Animal Justice Project climbed the outer wall before unfurling a banner calling for an end to animal agriculture due to its links to pandemics and the impact on the welfare of livestock.
Police said the three activists were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and causing a public nuisance.
Hope Wetherall, an Animal Justice Project campaigner said: “Activists today are braving the elements and dizzying heights to highlight the inaction of our government on the urgent and catastrophic outbreak of bird flu that is tearing through intensive chicken sheds at lightning speed, as well as other animal agriculture-causing diseases.
“Modern agriculture causes both immense suffering and death to animals, and a very real risk to humans, yet we continue to see no real action taken by the politicians other than declaring avian influenza prevention zones and mass culling - actions that fail to target the source of the problem.
Happening now, stay tuned!! pic.twitter.com/JOIHYoG5Bg
— AnimalJusticeProject (@ajpReact) December 15, 2022
“It is imperative that government bodies such as DEFRA take preventative and meaningful action now.”
The Met Police said officers were called shortly before 6.30am to reports that two protesters had scaled the Government building on Marsham Street.
Specialist units were mobilised.
