Trucks in Wagga and Goulburn were targeted. Photo: Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association.
Peak bodies representing farmers have condemned alleged animal activist attacks targeting livestock carriers across rural NSW this week.
At least two livestock trailers have been vandalised in Wagga Wagga and Goulburn in recent days, with an underground international activist group allegedly responsible for the attacks.
The Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) posed images on its Facebook page, showing pink spray-painted words such as “f***” and “c***” on vehicles.
One tyre was also spray-painted with the word “speciesism,” an animal activist term denoting it is unfair to treat humans as superior to other animals.
“The images below show the damage to the livestock trailers parked on the Olympic Highway,” LBRCA said.
“The damage was extensive and included derogatory comments spray-painted along the length of the vehicle, large holes ripped through 15 tyres, significant damage to cabling, a repair cost of around $10,000, not to mention the loss of income while repairs are carried out.
“An emblem purporting the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) was spray-painted on the back trailer, suggesting that the damage was carried out by this group. Should this group be behind the wave in these acts of vandalism, we need to be vigilant.”
“Speciesism” is an animal activist term denoting it is unfair to treat humans as superior to other animals.
The ALF is an international group that emerged in the 1970s from Britain and now operates in 40 countries. Its aim is to remove animals from laboratories and farms. NSW Police have not yet confirmed whether ALF was responsible for the attacks on the trucks in Wagga and Goulburn.
NSW Farmers Board Member Alan Brown said the crimes were a scourge on Australian agriculture and those responsible must be brought to justice immediately.
“This is disgraceful behaviour and it’s clear these activists have no respect for the law,” Mr Brown said.
“We strongly condemn these acts, and we will support any farmer who has been impacted by this senselessness.
“If these activists had any backbone, they would come and talk to us, so we could tell them how we safely and ethically produce livestock here in Australia. But instead they seem hell-bent on causing crime, chaos and fear, rather than finding the facts.”
In the wake of the attacks, Mr Brown called on all levels of government to take immediate action to protect farmers from increasingly dangerous activist tactics.
“This behaviour is extreme, illegal and must be stopped in its tracks before anyone ‒ or any animals ‒ get hurt,” Mr Brown said.
“These activist groups don’t know the first thing about animals or farming, and their activities pose a huge risk to everyone in the agricultural industry.
“Our governments have a duty to protect their people – so it’s critical they do everything in their power to ensure attacks like this never happen again.”
Original Article published by Oliver Jacques on Region Riverina.
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