It comes after the activist group, which campaigns for a sustainable plant-based food system, received no response to a letter to Downing Street in August warning of disruption in September unless progress was made on their demands. Members of Animal Rebellion stopped and boarded company trucks outside four facilities supplying milk in the Midlands and southern England. Others entered the company’s premises, climbing into the milk silos and loading bays of the sites. The four distribution centers, managed by Müller and Arla, together process around 2 billion liters of fresh milk per year. The group has said its supporters will continue to take direct action until the British government negotiates its two demands. It calls on the government to support farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal husbandry and fishing as part of an immediate transition to a plant-based food system. It also wants the government to commit to reusing the released land and ocean as part of a wider wildlife restoration and carbon reduction programme. John Appleton, who worked at Arla for six years and took part in the protest, said: “I’ve seen this industry first hand, I know the struggle farmers and workers go through every day. We need a food system that works for them, for everyone else, and for non-human animals. “Government support for this is vital to addressing climate and ecological emergencies. We know the twin solution: switching to a plant-based diet and a mass reset program.” Steve Bone, a photographer from Thorpe-le-Soken in Essex, who also took part in the action, said: “A plant-based future will restore the British countryside and all the wonderful nature that has been lost to livestock farming… A future based on plants would enable massive carbon reduction and mitigation of the worst effects of the climate crisis.” A spokesman for Müller in the UK and Ireland confirmed that the sites targeted were in Droitwich, Severnside and Bridgwater. He said: “We are disappointed to be targeted by a small number of campaigners who do not represent the 96% of adults in Britain who choose milk each week and will ensure supplies are maintained. “Dairy is affordable and full of nutrients that benefit our bodies. During a cost-of-living crisis, it is wrong to try to prevent it from reaching families, including vulnerable members of society.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. An Arla spokesman said: “We currently have protesters at our site in Aylesbury and are working closely with the local police to resolve the situation. The safety and security of our colleagues on site is our number one priority and production is currently operating as normal.” The protest comes a day after Animal Rebellion campaigners rallied at a Whole Foods store in London and Marks & Spencer supermarkets in Southampton, Manchester and Birmingham, holding signs reading “Plant-based future” and “Screw the our land’ as they tried to stop shoppers from buying milk. Animal Rebellion, a sister movement to Extinction Rebellion, claims to have hundreds of supporters willing to be arrested and jailed for immediate action. So far this year, activists from the group have disrupted the colors ceremony at the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations, stormed the track at Epsom Derby Racecourse and emptied milk bottles onto the floor in the food hall at Harrods department store in London. They also announced plans to block supermarkets and prevent millions of people from buying milk. Müller and Arla have been contacted for comment.
