Around 100 animal rights activists from 269 Libération Animale blocked six veal slaughterhouses of the VanDrie Group in France and the Netherlands on the night from Sunday to Monday.
They entered the sites during the night to stop operations and protest the treatment of baby calves by VanDrie Group, the world’s largest veal producer.
Young calves mistreated during long transports
VanDrie Group, a Dutch family business, buys calves from Ireland, some are only a few weeks old. The company owns every part of the veal supply chain, from transport to control posts and slaughterhouses.
Investigations by Eyes on Animals, Ethical Farming Ireland and L214 found that many calves arrive at slaughterhouses scared, weak, exhausted, and dehydrated.
In February 2024, Dutch animal rights organization Dier & Recht took the Van Drie Group to court, accusing the veal company of systematically violating EU animal welfare laws.
The lawsuit centers on the transport of unweaned Irish calves, who are often subjected to journeys lasting over 30 hours without the mandatory feeding required every 19 hours.
Despite multiple investigations and years of activist pressure, Van Drie continues to deny wrongdoing, without any proof.
The Van Drie Group kills around 1.5 million calves annually.
Six veal slaugherhouses
Activists from Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland blocked six slaughterhouses that are part of the VanDrie Group.
Two in France: Sobeval in Bouza and Tendriade in Châteaubourg. And four in the Netherlands: T.Boer & zn in Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, and ESA, Ekro and Ameco in Apeldoorn.
The Van Drie Group slaughters approximately 1.5 million calves annually. At the Ekro slaughterhouse, more than 400,000 calves are killed every year.
269 Libération Animale
269 Libération Animale is a radical, women-led antispeciesist collective known for its bold direct actions targeting some of the largest players in Europe’s meat and dairy industries.
Rooted in a philosophy that challenges the exploitation of all sentient beings, the group organizes high-risk blockades and occupations of slaughterhouses, transport hubs, and farms.
Their actions are designed not only to disrupt operations but also to expose the structural violence behind industrial animal agriculture.
On Monday, police arrested activists at several slaughterhouses. Most of them have now been released. However, nine people who took part in the blockade at the T. Boer & Zn slaughterhouse in the Netherlands are expected to remain in custody until Wednesday or Thursday.
The activist group is also very concerned about 27 Italian activists still being held by French police near Périgueux. They say these individuals were treated violently during the police evacuation and are worried about the injuries they may have suffered.
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