A group identifying as radical “anti-speciesist” activists has claimed responsibility for setting fire to 17 vehicles at the Paris Terroirs pig slaughterhouse in Houdan, Yvelines, on the night of April 4.
According to French media, the 17 burned vehicles were refrigerated lorries, heavy lorries and vans. They were set aflame in the parking lot of the last slaughterhouse.
The current loss of its full refrigerated fleet is expected to cause serious operational disruptions and potential short-time working for employees.
Firefighters were called in at around 4 am and were able to stop the spread of the flames to the main building, although it was smoke-damaged.
Far-left “green” activists claimed the arson attack in a statement on April 11.
In that statement, the green activists said that “by targeting the logistics of animal trafficking”, they “attack the workings of speciesism and capitalism”.
“Pigs, like all other animals, do not want to participate in this deadly society!
“Fire to slaughterhouses, end to oppression!,” they stated.
The letter was signed by the ALF (Anarchistes Lance-Flamme), which could be translated into “Firebrand Anarchists”.
They added a message to the statement aimed at so-called “reformist organisations”: “Don’t fall for the trap of acceptability. These actions save the lives you claim to defend.”
Local authorities had previously described the fire as “mysterious” or “possibly criminal”, noting that multiple vehicles ignited simultaneously with no injuries reported.
The slaughterhouse had already been targeted by the far-left in April 2018, when 68 activists broke into the company’s premises to prevent it from operating.
They had chained themselves to the machines and had to be removed by the police, who afterward were hit with complaints of police brutality.
French farmers’ organisations have condemned the attack as further weakening an already fragile sector.
No arrests have been announced so far and police are continuing their investigation into what they treat as suspected arson.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has delighted animal protectionists with a proposal to establish a task force to address the issue of peaceful coexistence with the rodents. https://t.co/GRy1YvXiYQ
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) June 9, 2023
