Police called as vegan activists target farm's family fun day

Police were called to a farm’s family fun day after vegan activists targeted the event - with some parents saying young children were “upset”. Officers were pictured at the spring fair in Willesborough, Ashford, as the protesters handed out leaflets promising a “fun-packed tour of your local abattoir”. Some people saw the funny side of the stunt - but one mum says her six-year-old daughter “almost burst into tears”.

The event at the Swan Young Farmers Club in Cudworth Road was advertised as a family-friendly day out during the Easter holidays, with “lamb cuddles”, games, and local food and drink. However, the activists set up a stall outside and distributed flyers titled: "Kent Young Slaughterers presents FLUFFY TAILS SLAUGHTERHOUSE TOUR". It mocked the event’s messaging with lines such as: “Join us for a fun-packed tour of your local abattoir and see how those cute lambs are transformed into delicious meat!” It also advertised a fake “souvenir lamb’s tail, cuddly toy & lamb chop” for £10.



After the fair, Giles Dealer-Boot, a member of the ‘Young Slaughterers’, said: "We need to bring back honesty in farming, and [think] that parents should have these conversations with the little ones from an early age. “Lambing events are the perfect opportunity, but unfortunately farming is a fundamentally dishonest profession.” One woman who attended the fair on Sunday afternoon, Santana Smith, told KentOnline that she was not too bothered by the activists, but one young girl was distressed.

She said: “As I walked past the police were already there speaking to them. One of the boys handed me a leaflet and I laughed. “They were actually quite calm and not causing any problems from what I saw.

“I think after the police left that is when they started being a bit more in people's faces. “My daughter wasn't bothered by it but my friend's experience was very different. They upset her daughter and stopped her pushchair.

” She says the QR code on the campaigners’ leaflet directed people to a YouTube video of people abusing animals in a slaughterhouse. During the event, Ms Smith posted an image of the flyer on social media. The post sparked hundreds of reactions online, with a mixture of amusement and outrage.

Ella Barlow supported the protest, writing: “Finally, someone willing to show kids the truth about where their meat comes from.” But others expressed their frustration. Jacob Green said: “Young Farmers do great work with young rural people who rely on it for connections and socialising in an otherwise lonely existence.

“This is NOT the place for these kinds of messages to be pushed around. “Incredibly disappointed that someone thought this would be okay.” Another woman said her daughter “almost burst into tears”.

“I kept telling him no thanks and he started saying how they do what they do,” she wrote. “Mate, she's six - she doesn’t need to hear that.” A separate social media post by one of the protesters after the fair, seen by KentOnline, said: “We got right up their noses for some reason.

“Called the police, who hung around for a while, then b****red off admitting we weren't doing anything wrong.” Swan Young Farmers, a non-profit organisation for young farmers aged 10-28, has since released a statement apologising for any disruption caused by the activists. "We would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along to support our club today for our Spring Fair, from the stall holders to the fantastic members of the community who made it out to join us,” it says.

“Without your support, Swan Young Farmers would not be able to support and nurture our amazing members and care for our animals. “We would however like to apologise for the inconvenience of the activists who were also in attendance. “We would like to confirm that they were NOT part of our Spring Fair and we tried everything in our power to have them removed.

" The activists say their Young Slaughterers Association “mirrors” the Young Farmer's Club and aims to bring awareness around where food comes from. A spokesperson said they want to “bridge the disconnect between the animals seen in fields, such as the lambs shown at the Swan Farm event, and the roasted legs of these beings typically eaten on a Sunday”. They added: “By offering tours of an abattoir people can see the reality of how the animal has its life cut short so it can be eaten.

They can then make an informed choice about whether to carry on buying into what society considers the norm, or whether to break out of it, make the connection between sentient being and meal choice, and stop eating animal products entirely.” Police confirmed they were called to the farm at about 1.30pm following reports of a small group of protesters.

Officers attended to prevent a breach of the peace, the activists left and no arrests were made. Despite the disruption, the event remained busy throughout the day, with dozens of families attending. A total of £2,734.

93 was raised towards the club during the fair..