Charges dropped against activist who exposed Iowa hog deaths

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Charges dropped against activist who exposed Iowa hog deaths

By RYAN J. FOLEY
January 29, 2021

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped trespassing charges against an activist who helped secretly record Iowa’s largest pork producer using heat to kill thousands of hogs last year as the pandemic devastated the industry.

Matt Johnson, an activist with the group Direct Action Everywhere, had been scheduled to stand trial in Grundy County, Iowa, on Monday on two counts of trespassing at Iowa Select Farms properties in May.

County prosecutors moved to dismiss the charges Thursday at the request of Iowa Select, whose personnel had been subpoenaed but said they didn’t wish to testify, court documents show.

“We cannot be distracted by individuals who choose to break the law and grandstand,” Iowa Select spokeswoman Jen Sorenson said Friday.

Johnson was planning a necessity defense, arguing that his actions were lawful because they were the only way to expose the inhumane treatment of animals. He was hoping to draw more attention to the company’s use of a method known as ventilation shutdown to cut the size of its herd in May.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-iowa-city-iowa-trials-subpoenas-50332a3905f4913d108865d27ee5d21d

[TheRealNorth]

1. I bet the Pork Producers are making more now ....

By jacking up the prices.

[nam78_two]

2. He exposed outrageously inhumane practices

If we were sane as a species, the people using practices like these would face charges not those exposing them...blech..
He was not grandstanding. I support this guy. The trial would have drawn more attention to their egregious cruelty.

This method should be outlawed. The American Vet Asdociation seems to have no standards at all:

The company (Iowa Select) is an influential backer of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.

One of the methods they used to trim herds was ventilation shutdown, which involves stopping airflow inside a facility to raise the temperature high enough to kill animals inside.

One of the methods they used to trim herds was ventilation shutdown, which involves stopping airflow inside a facility to raise the temperature high enough to kill animals inside.

American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines say the method should be a last resort after others are ruled out, that it should be done quickly enough to kill 95% of the animals within an hour, and that all must be eventually killed.

Acting on a tip from a whistleblower, a team of activists that included Johnson placed equipment inside an Iowa Select barn and recorded audio of pigs shrieking, some for hours, as the temperature rose and killed many of them.

They also captured video showing workers hours later walking through the pile of animals and shooting those showing signs of life with a bolt gun. Then, they used heavy machinery to remove the carcasses.

I support the activists. They are not criminals -they are those rare courageous people who stand for humane standards when it is in no way profitable or popular. These are real heroes. It is appalling that this is not even considered a big issue. No species with common decency behaves like this and talks about a 100 pointless issues while turning a blind eye to cruelty towards non-human life on this scale. Herein lie the roots of our cruelty to powerless humans. It is unscientific nonsense to refuse to acknowledge the egregiousness of stuff like this. Barbaric really...This is a valid use of science and tech? Boiling animals alive over hours? There is the morality of morons for you. If it isn't profitable or popular, it is not a big deal, however much your gut tells you that it is awful.

Think this species is ready to deal with all the complexities of eco-collapse? Nope.

[nam78_two]

3. I am going to make a donation to Direct Action Everywhere immediately

And no I am not donating to criminals etc. Nice try if you can read this creepers. I am donating to people who expose outrageously inhumane industrial practices that should be banned by now, if we had updated humane laws the world over.

It is a big deal and far more important than whatever celebrity's outfit you send 50 tweets about in between all your other creepy activities.

Johnson said that his investigation has found some of Iowa Select’s own employees dissented from the practice, a claim he wanted to explore at trial.

“This company knows that the public ... is horrified to learn what ISF is willing to do in the name of profit,” he said. “They’re desperate to conceal their abhorrent and criminal conduct.”

Yeah no shit. I support Matt Johnson. This is sociopathic behavior towards a sentient life-form. If you have any respect for science and civilized standards, this should shock you.

(I mean I suppose some creeps keep following all active DUers. Actually I am sure anyone who does read this is probably a creep and not a DUer. This is a depressing and not very active forum. But whatever. Maybe someday a non-creep reads it. Maybe someday there will no longer be any creeps or sociopaths who are not in their dotage.)

[nam78_two]

4. I will definitely donate to Direct Action tomorrow

Last edited Thu Feb 4, 2021, 02:21 AM - Edit history (4)

It looks like Direct Action is one of the more controversial animal rights groups out there, but they don't endorse violence or terror tactics, so I am donating to them anyway. I take it that they won't betray the trust of small donors. And they should also keep their eyes open for infiltrators (paid by these creeps) who may use violent or terrorist tactics to delegitimize the issues or attract legitimately nutty people. They want to raise awareness not cause destruction. When you walk this line, you have to make sure that it can be justified to rational people.

I have mixed feelings about anything controversial. On the one hand it is not a good strategy generally. On the other, in animal agriculture (as with surveillance capitalism), the regulations are themselves outdated and broken.

I am certain that in 3 decades tops, practices like these will be viewed as abhorrent if we progress at all as a species..These are sentient animals. Science cannot support this. Yes, technically this activist broke the law, but it highlights a problem in the system when practices this inhumane are considered legal. And no I am not violent and I am law-abiding. I just see through the bullshit of egregiously corrupt and backward large agribusinesses. And I think we are so selfish as a species that outside of religious rubbish, we have no moral framework that is meaningful in any real way. It is all about self interest and it is pretty stupid.

I do think the animal rights movement needs its own human face people can relate to. These are horrifying practices. I am old and very cranky and don't understand Twitter, celebrity culture or social drivel generally.

But it seems like that sort of stuff does raise awareness. I hope some passionate young person becomes the face of the animal rights.