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Animal Rebellion activists block access to milk at supermarkets across the country

Animal Rebellion activists block access to fresh milk at a Whole Foods in London. (Animal Rebellion)
Animal Rebellion activists block access to fresh milk at a Whole Foods in London. (Animal Rebellion)

Animal Rebellion activists have blocked access to fresh milk at supermarkets in four cities across the country.

The sit-down protests were the start of sustained action against “government inaction on a plant-based food transition,” the group said.

Activists targeted Whole Foods in London and Marks & Spencer stores in Southampton, Birmingham, and Manchester.

Images showed protestors blocking the dairy and meat aisles as they held signs reading ‘Rewild our Land’ and ‘Plant-Based Future’.

The protests took place between midday and 1pm on Saturday.

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Protests took place across the country. (Animal Rebellion)
Protests took place across the country. (Animal Rebellion)

Animal Rebellion said it wanted the government to support farmers and fishing communities in transitioning to plant-based food production and claimed officials had refused multiple calls for dialogue.

The group was also calling to use freed-up land for rewilding as part of a wider plan of wildlife restoration and carbon draw-down.

Robert Gordon, who occupied the dairy section of a Whole Foods store near Soho, London, said: “Animal farming and fishing are leading causes of our climate and ecological crises.

“Supermarkets like Whole Foods claim to be environmentally conscious, yet they continue to stock from the destructive meat, fish, and dairy industries.

“With this sit-in today, we are making a clear statement that only a plant-based food system can alleviate the threat posed by climate breakdown.

“The minor inconvenience caused by our actions pales in comparison to the consequences of climate breakdown which is already happening globally.”

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A Marks And Spencer supermarket in Paris, France on August 18, 2020. The british retail chain Marks And Spencer announced on Tuesday August 18, to cut 7,000 jobs over the next three months due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and a drop in store footfall. (Photo by Adnan Farzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Protests took place at Marks & Spencer outlets in Southampton, Birmingham and Manchester. (Getty)

Max, who took part in the protest at Marks & Spencer in Manchester, added: “This is not how I want to spend my weekend, but as the government is failing to respond to our climate, ecological and moral crises, I no longer feel I have a choice.

“Earlier this summer more than 60 homes and businesses burnt down when Britain faced record-breaking temperatures and now one-third of Pakistan is underwater from extreme climate-induced flooding.”

In July, Animal Rebellion targeted Harrods in London when activists emptied out milk onto the floor.

Animal Rebellion describes itself as a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system.

Yahoo News UK has approached Whole Foods and Marks & Spencer for comment.