Animal activists who occupied Quebec pig farm found guilty of breaking and entering

Eleven animal rights activists were convicted of obstruction and breaking and entering after storming a pig farm in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que. on Dec. 7, 2019. (Source: Pexels)

Several animal rights activists were found guilty Thursday of obstruction and breaking and entering after occupying a pig breeding facility in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que. in 2019.

The 11 activists from the group Direction Action Everywhere - DxE entered the Porgreg farm around 4 a.m. on Dec. 7, 2019 and live-streamed their operation on Facebook before Quebec provincial police showed up and arrested them.

Activist Jenny McQueen narrated the video with the aim of sharing the conditions inside the facility with the public.

"We are demanding that the media come and film the conditions that we find here," McQueen said in the video at the time.

She and 10 other activists were found guilty of the two charges at the end of their trial, which started last October at the Saint-Hyacinthe courthouse, about 60 kilometres east of Montreal.

A judge found them not guilty of one count of mischief.

Anne Shaughnessy, one of the people who were convicted, wrote in a statement to CTV News Thursday afternoon the group was "fully prepared to be arrested if our demands were not met. But we are far from criminals!"

"It's important that media begin to cover what really happens on Canadian farms. We can help animals by convincing one person at a time to leave animals off their plates, but this won't change things for animals fast enough."

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 6.