Earlier this week a German court ruled that it’s legal for activists
to go undercover into factory farms and take pictures and videos if there’s
reason to believe that the authorities aren’t doing their job of enforcing
animal protection laws.
In the case, the prosecution argued that three activists who
entered a pig factory farm to document cruelty were guilty of trespassing. The
prosecution has now lost, and the activists have been released.
The historic ruling essentially states that entering a
factory farm and filming is not trespassing, but rather a justifiable necessity.
The court ruled that undercover activists are making sure that farmers adhere to
animal welfare laws and regulations.
Ulf Majstrak, the presiding judge of the criminal court, found
that the activists were in the right because there
was a danger to animal welfare. He stated that the activists had done
exactly what was needed with the means available to them.
Germany is truly a leader when it comes to veganism and
animal rights.
Earlier this year, CNN reported on a study that found Germans
were ditching meat for plant-based versions. In fact, a 2016 study based on 2008–2011 data
estimated that 4.3 percent of Germans between 18 and 79 identified as
vegetarian, with the majority between 18 and 29. Compare that to 2 percent in the United Kingdom and 3.3 percent in the United States.
Furthermore, Barbara Hendricks, Germany’s federal
minister for the environment, has banned all meat from official government
functions as a way to combat climate change. Additionally, Germany has banned
the cruel production of foie gras.
These actions to protect farmed animals and move away from
meat, dairy, and eggs will help the billions of animals who suffer miserably at
factory farms.
Cows, pigs, and chickens raised and killed for food are just
as smart and sensitive as dogs and cats. But at factory farms, they’re
subjected to unimaginable cruelties: extreme confinement, brutal mutilations,
and violent deaths.
See for yourself.
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