‘Gippy Goat’ animal activists go from court to protest without worry

Animal activists have again escaped conviction over the theft of livestock from a Gippsland farm. Just days later, they were back on the protest frontline in Melbourne.

Courting trouble: Just days after fronting court over the theft of livestock from Gippy Goat Cafe and farm, activist Olivia Foggarty was pictured chained outside the main entrance to the Melbourne Aquarium.

Animal activists have again escaped conviction over the theft of livestock from a Gippsland farm — and just days later were back on the protest frontline.

The Weekly Times can reveal three activists were last week placed on a diversion program at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, with the condition they must remain in good behaviour for four months.

They were among a group of 70 who allegedly stormed the Gippy Goat Cafe and farm at Yarragon in December stealing three goats and a lamb.

EXCLUSIVE: ACTIVIST FINED $1 FOR BIOSECURITY BREACH

ACTIVIST FINED $1 GIVEN FREE REIN

Just days after her day in court, activist Olivia Foggarty was pictured alongside Yasna Kelly, who escaped conviction over the same incident in Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court last month, chained outside the main entrance to the Melbourne Aquarium.

“We won’t stop until we get total animal liberation, until all animals are free and not exploited,” Ms Foggarty said in a livestream on Facebook.

“We will keep showing up and doing things like this until the world goes vegan.”

David Huynh, who also escaped conviction last Friday, streamed live on his Instagram from a protest at the G&K O’Connor abattoir at Pakenham.

“There’s about a dozen activists here to disrupt business,” he said.

It comes as vegan extremists activism across the country saw:

GIPPY Goat Cafe permanently closed, with owners blaming the “constant harassment” by “abusive vegan activists”.

40 PEOPLE arrested, including two 17-year-olds and a 15-year-old, over a protest in Melbourne’s CBD.

1 4 PROTESTERS arrested for trespass at Laverton.

SIX protesters arrested for trespass at Pakenham.

NINE activists charged after they chained themselves to a conveyor inside an abattoir at Goulburn.

PROTESTS at farms and abattoirs at Corio and Bacchus Marsh, and Yangan in Queensland.

Animal activists chain themselves inside the AFG abattoir on Monday.

Lawyer Daniel Beecher, who represented Ms Foggarty and another activist, Kylie Paterson last Friday, described their theft as a “crime of passion” saying his clients were “excellent candidates for diversion”.

It comes just weeks after Ms Kelly and activist Malakeh Awad received six-month good behaviour bonds and Cara Garrett was fined $1 for breaking biosecurity laws and ordered to pay $250 in compensation for the stolen stock.

Gippy Goat Cafe and farm owner John Gommans told The Weekly Times it was just another “kick in the guts for the farming community”.

“We were extremely disappointed by the court verdict and it was reinforced by the last three,” he said. “It’s hard to believe it could be worse.”

Mr Gommans was shocked the activists were not even ordered to write a letter of apology, which The Weekly Times understands has been a common condition of diversions for animal activists in Victoria.

GOAT STOLEN FOR SECOND TIME

GIPPY GOAT CAFE CLOSES FOR GOOD

Mr Gommans, who has called for government action many times, permanently closed his Gippy Goat Cafe over the weekend blaming the “constant harassment” by “abusive vegan activists”.

He said while the farming operation would continue, the cafe — a hotspot for locals and tourists — was “no longer a good and safe venue for staff”.

“The staff have been telling us they get phone calls every day (from vegans),” Mr Gommans said.

“One (staff member) said one in every two calls were people saying how bad we were as employers, how our staff should go get a better job and what terrible people we are, and that we kill animals because we serve meat.”

He said after the activists stormed his farm in December, the “harassment never stopped” and included significant negative publicity on online review sites and social media.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh slammed the Victorian Government’s lack of action, saying, “the silence is deafening”.

“The (Agriculture) Minister is totally missing in action on this particular issue,” he said.

“There needs to be change, there needs to be severe penalties and people need to feel safe.”

Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes told The Weekly Times “strengthening laws in itself when you already have laws that carry maximum penalties of six months and significant fines … it’s not the silver bullet — I want cultural change”.

VIC GOVT URGED TO SET UP INQUIRY

INDUSTRY ADVISORY GROUP WANT HEFTY FINES

Ms Symes said she would not be opposing the Coalition’s motion requesting an inquiry to look into the effectiveness of the state’s laws protecting farmers from animal activist invasions, but would be talking to Mr Walsh about her concerns with it.

East Gippsland hunter and businessman Simon Webster said he hoped Monday’s protests marked a watershed moment that would lead to Ms Symes taking action against activists.

“They introduced a $10,000 fine for streaking on the MCG and it stopped overnight,” Mr Webster said. “It’d only take one animal activist to be fined $10,000 and I reckon we’d get the same result.”

FARMER GOES UNDERCOVER AS ACTIVIST

EXCLUSIVE: ACTIVISTS SEEK DONATIONS TO STEAL

Meanwhile, red-meat industry groups have been left flat-footed in response to the latest round of animal activist invasions.

Monday’s annual March to Close all Slaughterhouses is an annual event, with organisers flagging their intention to invade abattoirs in early March, with calls to action appearing on social media post in the past week.

Rule’s View. Cartoon: Chris Rule

EDITORIAL: TIME FOR SOME PEST CONTROL

ACTIVISTS ACCUSED OF THREATENING DUCK SHOOTER

But while the Animal Justice Party and other groups co-ordinated a widespread and vocal campaign, Australia’s peak red-meat industry groups struggled to be heard.

That failure feeds into the findings of a key public affairs think-tank report, which found “there are no agreed ‘owners’ of potential crises or priority issues across the industry”.

The Centre for Corporate Public Affairs review of sociopolitical risk management in the red-meat industry, found there was no consensus on Meat and Livestock Australia’s role in better managing an animal welfare or other crisis.

Animal activists stage a sit-down protest in the Melbourne CBD on Monday.