A MALVERN woman was one of eight people arrested over a protest at a McDonald’s distribution centre on Saturday.
The 51-year-old was held by officers from Hampshire Police on suspicion of aggravated trespass at the industrial estate off Houndmills Road in Basingstoke.
A 21-year-old woman from Bristol, a 32-year-old woman from London, a 24-year-old woman from Beckenham, along with three more women – aged 18, 24, 25 and 31 – of no fixed abode and a 21-year-old man of no fixed abode were also held over the protest at the same site.
Reports suggest 14 people were arrested in total for protests at the McDonald’s depots in Basingstoke, Hemel Hempstead, Coventry and Greater Manchester.
Protestors from Animal Rebellion said they were targeting McDonald’s by blockading all four of their UK distribution centres, which supplied approximately 1,300 restaurants.
They added more than 50 protestors intended to blockade the sites for at least 24 hours, using trucks and bamboo structures, causing significant disruption to the McDonald’s supply chain.
Animal Rebellion said McDonalds was just a symbol of a much bigger problem, the entire animal agriculture industry and was demanding the fast food chain became fully plant-based by 2025.
Speaking about the Basingstoke protest, Ch Insp Matt Reeves from Hampshire Police said: “Everyone has the right to free speech and protest, however, officers will take necessary action against the few who deliberately choose to act outside the law.”
West Midlands Police said officers remained at the centre in Coventry and engaged with the company and activists during the day, adding the protestors there carried out their action peacefully, there were no arrests and there was no disruption to the community.
