Seven Animal Rebellion protestors arrested during blockade at McDonald’s Factory

Seven people have been arrested after protesters barricaded a McDonald’s factory.

Animal Rebellion activists have been at the site in Scunthorpe for more than 48-hours, preventing products leaving the factory in a bid to get the fast-food giant to move to an entirely “plant based food menu by 2025.”

The “animal and climate justice” protestors arrived at the site in Luneburg Way, in the early hours of Thursday morning. Dozens of activists set up a blockade using trucks, tents and bamboo structures and locked onto one another to stop the facility from distributing burgers.

Trucks with the sign “McMurder” stood outside the factory while police vans encircled the area.

Accusing the global chain of poor labour conditions and wreaking havoc on the environment, the activists said that they would end the blockade if McDonald’s made the first step towards introducing a plant based menu by committing to becoming 20 per cent plant-based within one year.

By Saturday afternoon, the last protester was being removed from the bamboo structure by police.

Harley McDonald-Eckersall a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion said: “With corporations like McDonald’s what’s happening right now is the world is changing around they don’t change they are going to be left behind. We hope we have sent a big enough message, we have sent repeated messages to McDonalds.”

Ms McDonald-Eckersall said the chain was a symbol of the system they are trying to change, which is the entire animal agriculture industry, and that the group hoped they had “sparked a public debate.”

Assistance Chief Constable Chris Noble said: “As a result of a lengthy and complex police operation, I can confirm that all blockade apparatus has now been removed from Luneburg Way.

“A total of seven people have now been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences, with a further eleven people having been reported for summons.

“Where offences have been committed, appropriate action has been taken, and a thorough investigation will continue.

“Whilst we recognise the right to protest is a key part of any democracy, we also recognise the rights of local companies to go about their legitimate business. This has been a significantly disruptive incident for a local business and employer.

As of Saturday evening, a number of police officers remained at the factory although the protest had reduced in size.