Demanding a switch to plant-based dairy alternatives, a group of vegan campaigners is threatening to block the supply of milk in Britain. Here’s all you need to know.
Up to 500 activists reportedly are set to take part in plans to block milk dairy depots
Vegan activists poured milk on the floor of Harrods department store. Moreover, they staged a sit-in in the cheese aisle in a Waitrose store in London. It is a part of a new campaign calling for an end to dairy production. Up to 500 activists reportedly are set to take part in plans to block dairy depots for over two weeks.
Protest group Animal Rebellion, which is an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, plans to promote its vegan agenda through this move. It is a sister group of Extinction Rebellion. They also blocked the dairy aisles at Marks & Spencer in Oxford Street, London, on Wednesday 27 July. Up to four supermarkets were affected in cities including London and Birmingham, with the group describing the protests as “non-violent”.
If they are able to successfully block the supply of milk, it would lead to a nationwide shortage of milk. Furthermore, it would result in skyrocketing prices. Ash Amirahmadi of Arla Foods UK said, “Anything that adds to the cost of business will end up adding to costs for customers.” He further added, “they have sought police and government’s help to ensure the supply isn’t hampered.”
“People are prepared to do whatever it non-violently takes, and that includes prison”: The group
This is not the first instance of a vegan group going to extreme lengths to get their demands fulfilled. Last month, activists from Animal Rebellion went to Harrods department store in Knightsbridge. There, they poured milk all over the floor and had to be forcibly removed by security. However, it is not clear if the activists bought the milk from the store or brought it with them.
In Birmingham, activists occupied a supermarket aisle at a Tesco store in the city. They sat down in front of milk holding posters demanding a transition to a plant-based food system. Also, claiming “animal agriculture is the single largest driver of habitat loss”.
On social media, the group said it decided to occupy dairy aisles and pour out milk “to take a stand against the cruelty and destruction caused by animal farming”. Equally important, the activity was “just the start” of a campaign of direct action against the dairy industry in September, it said.