A militant vegan group whose charity status has been withdrawn has compared the regulator to 19th-century slave owners in America's deep south.

On Tuesday, the Australian Charities and Not For Profits Commission announced it had revoked the charity registration of Vegan Rising.

It means the group will no longer benefit from charity tax concessions.

Commissioner Dr Gary Johns said in a statement on the regulator's website that revocation of a charity’s registration was reserved for the most serious of cases.

"Our approach to regulation focuses on education and guidance first," the statement said.

'Stronger action'

"However, when charities are unwilling to comply with their obligations, or fail to demonstrate commitment to their governance, then we will take stronger action."

The statement noted that Vegan Rising had been registered since September 2017, "with the purpose of preventing or relieving the suffering of animals".

Activist outrage

While the announcement was published on the ACNC site, secrecy provisions prevent the regulator revealing what its investigations have found and the specific reasons for a charity revocation.

However, the affected organisation is able to discuss reasons for revocation.

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Vegan Rising responded angrily on its Facebook and web pages, claiming the status was revoked because the regulator claimed "veganism is not in the public benefit".

The group also said the ACNC had been concerned by Vegan Rising protests that had been carried out without any warning to the authorities.

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Dozens of vegan activists blocked Swanston and Flinders streets in Melbourne during peak-hour on April 8 this year as part of a coordinated national day of action.

They used three rental vans as part of the blockade, chanting for "animal liberation", with some also sitting on tram tracks and linking arms to stop police attempts to break them up.

Protestors from vegan groups during a coordinated day of action in Melbourne on April 8, 2019. File image. Credit: David Crosling / AAP

Similar protests were also staged at regional Victorian abattoirs, condemned by farmers and many politicians.

It is understood the charities regulator launched the investigation shortly after the day of protests.

"At the heart of the excuses was that the authorities were not informed of our protest (clearly that makes effective protest impossible as we all know) and that veganism is not in the public benefit'," the Vegan group posted in its Facebook page.

Chevron Right Icon 'We know that veganism is absolutely in the public benefit.'

"We do not believe we have an obligation to alert anyone to our plans for protest and we know that veganism is absolutely in the public benefit."

The group said it had provided evidence supporting that assertion.

Last words

But in light of the charity status revocation, the group sent a strong message to the ACNC.

Chevron Right Icon '(It's) like expecting slave owners ... to make a judgement on whether the abolition of slavery was in the public interest.'

"Expecting carnists (word used by vegans to refer to meat-eaters and those who use animal products) to critically examine and make a judgement .... is like expecting slave owners from the deep south of America in the early 1800s to make a judgement on whether the abolition of slavery was in the public interest," the group told Johns and the ACNC.

The message goes on to accuse the ACNC of "coming from a position of absolute bias and indoctrination" and being "representatives of an ever-growing totalitarian state, serving oppression of the most vulnerable humans and other animals in our society".

Hardcore animal activist group Aussie Farms has been stripped of its charity status and subsequent tax benefits. Credit: AAP/AUSSIE FARMS/FACEBOOK

Last month the charity status was stripped from Aussie Farms, following concern about its apparent incitement of protestors to raid farms.

Again, the ACNC did not give a specific reason for the decision but it did reference the group's map documenting farms and abattoirs across the country.