Four people allegedly involved in Alberta’s recent turkey farm protest have been charged, say Fort MacLeod RCMP.
The police said in a news release today the people face break and enter charges for unlawfully accessing the farm in southern Alberta.
Those charged include three adults and one youth and are alleged to be among the several individuals who protested at the Jumbo Valley Hutterite turkey farm on Sept. 2 starting at 7:15 a.m.
The protesters lined the highway outside the property and occupied the barn where the turkeys were kept.
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The protest was resolved peacefully, RCMP say, as protesters left the farm at 12:15 p.m. that day. The farmer gave the protesters some turkeys so they could be put in an animal sanctuary.
The charged are Maxwell Ming Mah, 46, of Edmonton, Claire Buchanan, 28, of Calgary, Kennadi Rae Herbert, 24, of Pincher Creek, and a 16-year-old female from Calgary.
They all face one count of break and enter to commit mischief. They have all been released from custody and will appear in Fort MacLeod provincial court next month.
Since the protest, the province announced it would increase fines and implement stiffer penalties for people who trespass on rural land.
The incident has stirred the agriculture community. Many say such protests threaten animal welfare, biosecurity and farmers’ sense of security.
Contact jeremy.simes@producer.com
