Activists have stormed a Forge Farm Meats abattoir (Picture: SMASH Speciesism)

Vegans have stormed an abattoir in Kent and chained themselves to railings saying they refuse to move until the animals there are freed.

Activists from the group Smash Speciesism posted a video to Facebook this morning claiming they had targeted two slaughterhouses owned by Forge Farm Meats in Tunbridge Wells in the early hours.

The group contacted metro.co.uk and said it had locked itself on to machinery ‘with the intention of remaining inside the building and blockading the killing of animals for as long as possible’.

Two different groups have accessed either the kill floor or the waste silos at the site ‘to ensure that their eviction will need climbing police and specialised operatives that know how to cut lock ons’, the group said.


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The company said police had been called to the site (Picture: SMASH Speciesism)

The group say they have chained themselves to machinery at the slaughterhouse and put out a video of their early hours raid (Picture: SMASH Speciesism)

In a statement, the activists added: ‘The decision to access and blockade this building has not been taken lightly.



‘We are aware of the legal risks related to the action, but we believe there is no other chance to push systemic change.

‘The continuous exploitation of sentient beings, treated as property, is not just immoral but unjust, and if we have to force justice by acting against the law, we will do so unapologetically.’

A Forge Farm Meats spokesperson said they were aware of the protest and said police were on site escorting activists off the premises.

They added the protest was ‘inconvenient and pathetic’.

Earlier the group said: ‘We would be willing to abandon the blockade if all animals scheduled to be killed today are transported to an animal sanctuary of our choice and if the safety and freedom of the activists is promised, without charges and without personal details.’

A spokesperson for Kent Police said: ‘Officers were called at 3.35am to reports of a protest at a business in Powder Mill Lane, Tunbridge Wells.

‘Officers attended to speak to those involved and remain at the scene.’

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