Milk supplies to be affected as vegan activists plan disruption

Milk supplies in the coming weeks may be affected as vegan activists have vowed to cause massive disruption, demanding the government to support a transition to a “plant-based food system” and “rewild” land used for animal pasture.

Animal Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion that focuses on the environmental harms of animal agriculture, claims it has hundreds of supporters willing to be arrested and go to prison for taking direct action.

The group also said it would take action at supermarkets in five UK cities on Saturday by blocking shoppers from reaching milk and dairy aisles.

In a statement, the group said “millions of consumers will be unable to buy dairy milk” once it begins taking action in the first two weeks of September.

“We have spent months trying all the proper channels to engage with the government on the scientific consensus to transition to a plant-based future, but they have chosen to ignore us,” Animal Rebellion’s statement said. “We have been left with no choice but to step into civil resistance to pressure government action to preserve our futures.

“We are announcing our intentions in advance so the British public [can] prepare for a disruption to the milk supply this September. We apologise for any stress this may cause during a cost-of-living crisis, but the government are sleepwalking every single one of us into poverty, misery, and climate and ecological collapse. We cannot sit by and let this happen.”

The group says it has raised more than £40,000 to support its campaign against milk supplies, but expects to receive more donations once the actions begin.

In a press conference on Wednesday, the group said it was opposed to all animal agriculture but was targeting milk because it was “the weak link in the animal farming industry”.

Animal Rebellion is known for its blockade-style tactics, having previously prevented access to McDonald’s distribution centres, factories and restaurants, the UK’s biggest dairy, and London’s last remaining abattoir.