11 November 2010

Last night members of animal rights organisation Animal Freedom Aotearoa (AFA) were assaulted by World Dairy Summit security. They entered the ASB showgrounds in Greenlane, Auckland, to protest the Fonterra sponsored World Dairy Summit because of the industry’s treatment of animals and the environmental impact. As AFA members approached the function hall Paragon Security guards, hired by Summit organisers, intercepted the activists, including four dressed in dairy cow costumes. The activists were thrown to the ground and held in Police style restraints.

Protest attendee Jasmine Gray says, “I was thrown to the ground without warning, falling on fellow activists. A security guard then twisted my arm behind my head and said that if I did not stop moving that he would twist my leg like I had never felt it before and that I would be in so much pain.”

Ms Gray continues, “at the same time another woman was chanting, and they told her that they would put their foot in her face if she did not shut up. I also saw the same security guard hit my friend in the head with a megaphone repeatedly because he wanted to stop her from chanting.”

Another AFA member, Tim Evetts was slammed into the concrete ground by security who used sliding foot stomps to his head and kneeled forcefully on his neck whilst twisting his arms up behind his back resulting in grazes and bruises and a sizable bump protruding on his face.

“Employing Paragon and allowing them to use violence to silence us is an attempt by the dairy industry to conceal the mistreatment of cows, environmental degradation and climate change.” Says Ms Gray.

The Summit will take place again in Italy next year.

ENDS