Arla Foods Ltd v Persons Unknown, 2024 WL 03597159 (2024)
week or so after Phase 2 and may be part of a broader coalition with XR [Extinction Rebellion] and JSO [Just Stop Oil]."
39. There was also a concern that the Leeds Site may have been surveyed by potential protestors and/or other persons associated with Animal Rebellion, because a dog-walker was seen on 24 August 2022 walking near the Leeds Site and appearing to be recording a video when doing so. 40. This all led to the 31 August 2022 without notice application, and order bearing the same date made by Bacon J against the persons unknown described in the heading to this judgment e.g. " Persons unknown, who are, without the consent of the Claimants, entering into or remaining on land and in buildings on any of the sites listed in Schedule 2 of the Claim Form ". The order barred the following acts: (a) entering into, entering onto, tunnelling under or remaining on the Sites (paragraph 2.1 of the order); (b) blocking, slowing down, obstructing or otherwise interfering with vehicular access to or from the highway at the Sites (paragraph 2.2); (c) approaching, slowing down, or obstructing any vehicle on or moving along the roads identified in various annexes to the order, for the purpose of (i) disrupting vehicular access to or from the Sites or (ii) protesting (paragraph 2.3); (d) entering, climbing onto, climbing into, or climbing under any vehicle travelling to or from the Sites (paragraph 2.4); (e) affixing themselves ("locking on") to any vehicle on, entering or existing the Sites where the locking on is for the purpose of protesting (paragraph 2.5); (f) affixing themselves or any other items to any of the roads in (c) or any other person or object on, under or over those roads for the purposes of (i) disrupting vehicular access to or from any of the Sites; or (ii) protesting (paragraph 2.6); or (g) erecting any structure on those roads for the purpose of (i) disrupting vehicular access to or from any of the Sites or (i) protesting (paragraph 2.7). 41. Alternative service was allowed by a number of methods, including placing the order and documents leading to it on the First Claimant's websites and Facebook pages, e-mailing a copy of this order to Animal Rebellion, and placing signs and/or notices on the perimeter of each of the Sites. The injunction order was duly placed on the First Claimant's website on 2 September 2022, a relevant entry added to the First Claimant's Facebook page the same day, an e-mail sent to Animal Rebellion the same day, which led to an auto-reply from two Animal Rebellion e-mail addresses, and signs placed on the perimeters of the Sites that day. 42. However, three protest incidents occurred a few days later in September 2022 at the Sites: one on 4th September at the Aylesbury Site, one on 5th September at the Aylesbury Site and one on 8th September at the Hatfield Site. 43. The incident at the Aylesbury Site on 4 September 2022 started at about 5.30 am. Four protestors entered the Site and climbed on top of four milk silos, where they stayed for the next 10 to 12 hours. As a result of this, and the risk of contamination to the milk product contained in the silos, it was necessary to dispose of 640,000 litres of milk. Trespassing on the Aylesbury Site was a breach of paragraph 2.1 of the 31 August 2022 injunction order, so this appears to have breached that order. 44. Six protestors entered the Site and climbed on top of three raw milk tankers. Again, that appears to have been a breach of paragraph 2.1 of the 31 August 2022 injunction order. 45. Several protestors also blocked 'College Road', one of the access routes to the Site, which was protected under the injunction order, and climbed aboard and occupied vehicles on the road. It took until approximately 1.30 pm for all of the protestors to be removed from the road and vehicles in the vicinity of the Site, and for free access to the Site to recommence. These actions appear to have been in breach of paragraphs 2.2 to 2.5 of the injunction order. 46. 23 protestors were arrested in connection with the incident. 47. The next morning, 5 September 2022, at around 2.30 am, approximately 6 protestors entered the Site, and climbed aboard tankers or lay in the loading areas. All protestors were removed by around midday and 4 protestors were arrested. 48. Three days later, on 8 September 2022, at around 10 am, approximately 20 supporters of Animal Rebellion entered the Hatfield Site. A number of them caused physical damage by drilling into tyres and/or cutting the valves off lorry tyres to immobilise the lorries, before climbing onto a lorry in the loading bay and occupying the site. Over 400 tyres were either drilled or had their valves cut and had to be disposed of. The costs of replacement would be over £170,000. 17 people were arrested for aggravated trespass and criminal damage.
193
© 2025 Thomson Reuters.
9
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator