CA Activists Charged with Felony at Poultry Slaughter Plant

“We blockaded for almost four hours.”
– Hope Purplehorse, SPAR

On Wednesday, December 18th, eight Sonoma People for Animal Rights (SPAR) were arrested and jailed for 3 days in Sonoma County Jail in Santa Rosa, California on felony conspiracy and misdemeanor trespassing charges for blocking entrances to the Fulton Poultry Processing Plant by perching atop a 14-foot tripod and chaining themselves to 700-lb. barrels. The jailed activists declared a hunger strike. Several dozen supporters slept on the front steps of the jail Wednesday night to await arraignment of the prisoners, whose bail was set at $1,000 each. "The felony charge is absurd," said Crescenzo Vellucci, executive director of the Activist Civil Liberties Committee (ACLC), based in Sacramento. "The only conspiracy is that of those who wish to limit our right to free speech and assembly. Activists went to the slaughterhouse to protest the inhumane conditions and horrible killing methods there."

The conspiracy felony charge was subsequently dropped down to misdemeanor trespassing. For more information, contact Cres Vellucci, ACLC, P.O. Box 19515, Sacramento, CA 95819 (ph: 916- 452-7179); Larry Weiss, ACLC attorney (ph: 707-576-1415); Hope Purplehorse, SPAR (ph: 707-874-2996).