AN animal rights activist is fighting a restraining order that stopped a planned protest of up to 300 people outside a Laverton knackery last Saturday.
Point Cook’s Anthony Swords appeared in Werribee Magistrates Court yesterday to contest an interim intervention order that led to the rally being called off.
Mr Swords said he had organised the “peaceful protest” to speak out against the knackery after covert footage that emerged last year appeared to show brutal treatment and inhumane slaughter of former racehorses.
The RSPCA deemed the footage distressing and concerning, but said there was insufficient evidence to lay animal cruelty charges. The knackery was issued a formal warning.
READ: Laverton knackery worker defends hitting, slaying of horses
Mr Swords was visited by Werribee police about 7.30am on Saturday and served with the order. The order prohibited him from attending the property to protest. He said one of the conditions implied that if anyone else protested, he would be held responsible and would be arrested.
“The only thing we could do was cancel the protest,” Mr Swords said.
Magistrate Sharon Cure said she did not like the sound of how the horses at the knackery were being shot dead.
She warned the applicant that intervention orders could not be taken out to keep protesters away from a property, but only to protect a person.
The case will go to a contest mention at Werribee Magistrates Court on October 25.
