According to a new bill, animal rights activists in Australia will now face massive financial penalties for invading and trespassing on farms.
The legislation follows after dozens of incidents have left farmers calling authorities for help because they were unable to get rid of vegans who forced their way onto their premises.
According to the New South Wales politicians, the perpetrators will not only be fined with a $1,000 on-the-spot penalty but also with an additional fine of $220,000. In addition, the penalty will be doubled if the invader is an organization.
“Your time threatening the agriculture industry and hardworking farmers is over,” Minister Adam Marshall of NSW Agriculture said.
“NSW will have the toughest laws anywhere in Australia for people that illegally trespass onto farmers’ properties.
“We’ve seen a disturbing increase in vigilante behavior where individuals and groups have taken upon themselves to trespass onto farmers’ land and threaten the biosecurity on the property.
“We want to send the strongest possible message to people to think again. This is just the first part of a broader package of reforms the Government is working on, and jail time will be included in further legislation we are looking at.”
For the last few months, the number of cases involving upset activists trespassing on farmers’ lands had been growing steadily.
From invading farms to take pictures of private properties to chain themselves to machines and refusing to leave, the activists had been in constant argument with the law and distressed farmers.
Now, thanks to the passed bill, the protesters will have to think twice before trespassing and will probably have to come up with new approaches to promote the liberation of animals.
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