Overview of the repression of the antispeciesist movement

Dates of the upcoming trials at the end of the summary*

Here is a summary of the situation of the repression against antispeciesist activists in France and Switzerland.

???????? In early February 2019, four activists suspected of damaging and commiting arson against speciesist shops and restaurants have been held in custody in the North of France for up to 48 hours. The police has also held the mothers of two of these activists in custody in order to put pressure upon them. At the end of their custodial period, the four activists have been taken for an immediate appearance : two of them have been placed under judicial supervision, the other two activists have been sent to jail in Sequedin (North of France) until the 12th of March 2019. Their trials was on the 19th of March 2019, situated at the courthouse in Lille. Lou was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, including 9 months’ suspended sentence and 3 years’ probation. Alix, 18 months’ imprisonment, including 8 months’ suspended sentence and 3 years’ probation. Eden and Sacha, 6 months’ suspended sentence. We are waiting until May 9, 2019 to find out if these prison sentences are manageable and what the accommodations will be. They were also fined several tens of thousands of euros in criminal fines. The interest to be paid to the civil parties will be expressed at a future hearing on December 4, 2019.

???????? In mid-January 2019, there would be eight activists who were suspected of setting fire to a slaughterhouse in Jossigny, near Paris. They have been held in custody for up to 96 hours. Most of them have been put under very strict judicial supervision, preventing them from contacting us, due to the fact that they are not allowed to get in contact with other antispeciesist activists. The date of their trial, to our knowledge, is still unknown.

???????? In early December 2018, three comrades from Switzerland suspected of participating in acts of sabotage against speciesist shops, state buildings and against a slaughterhouse, have been sent to jail in Champ-Dollon (Switzerland) after being held in custody for 48 hours. One person was released after a week, Mirabelle after 27 days, and Matthias is still enjailed there. His detention was extended by an additional 3 months. You can show him support by writing messages to him through the facebook page “Solidarité avec nos camarades antispécistes détenu.e.s en Suisse” (Solidarity with our antispeciesist comrades enjailed in Switzerland). Events are also being planned through this page in order to support him. We don’t know yet when the trial will take place.

???????? In early September 2018, six people suspected to have damaged windows of speciesist shops have seen their homes searched and have been held in police custody for up to 48 hours. Two of them were under judicial supervision until May 2.
Their trial scheduled for December and May has been postponed again. It will take place on 14 November 2019 at the Criminal Court of Lille (France).
To the file of acts of sabotage against speciesist shops, a file was attached for refusing to give their telephone code (two of the people in custody in September), and a file for spilling fake blood in front of butcher shops in 2017.
As a result, four people will be tried on November 14: A and B for damage to the windows of speciesist shops, A and C for refusing to give their telephone code, and B and D for spilling fake blood in front of butcher shops.

???????? The founders of the NGO 269 Liberation Animale, Tiphaine Lagarde & Ceylan Cirik are facing a total of 6 trials (slaughterhouse blockades, animal liberations and the use of fake blood on the facade of slaughterhouses). One of them is pending appeal proceedings. They must pay a 6400€ criminal fine (including a conditional fine of 2000€), as well as a 10846€ fine for the civil party (the town, or the owners of the slaughterhouses). They have also been condemned to a six month suspended prison sentence, and 125 hours of community service for Ceylan.

???????? In early December 2018, the trial concerning the blockade of the slaughterhouse in Roanne (France) took place. Tiphaine Lagarde and Ceylan Cirik have been accused of “complicity through instigation” and are each condemned to pay 1500€ fine. Four activists out of 62, randomly chosen, have been condemned to a suspended 300€ fine. The civil party (Sicarev society) requests 40000€ from Tiphaine, Ceylan and the four other activists as compensation. The date of their appeal trial is still unknown.

???????? At the end of April 2018, the slaughterhouse in Houdan (France) was blocked. 5 activists out of 68, and a photographer, once again randomly chosen, were condemned to pay a 3000€ criminal fine, and a 5000€ fine for the civil party (Guy Harang society).

*DATES OF THE UPCOMING TRIALS :

– 5th of September 2019 at 13.30 in Orléans (France)
Slaughterhouse blockade and the liberation of Malcolm
Tiphaine Lagarde and Ceylan Cirik

– 14th of November, 2019 at 2pm in Lille (France).
Degradations on speciesist shops, refusal to give their telephone code in custody, and shedding of fake blood in front of butcher shops
Four independent activists

– 9th of June 2020 in Paris (France)
Speech in front of Interbev’s head office
Tiphaine Lagarde and Ceylan Cirik

????If you would like to help antispeciesist activists facing repression you can make a donation to the CSAA online: cotizup.com/antispeciste

????And if you want to organize events in solidarity with the comrades you can send us an email at comite2soutien-antispe [@] protonmail.com

Thank you for your support !

Let’s be supportive of the other animals, as well as of the activists against speciesism !