“We’ve had massive support here since we started,” Pat Smith, Beef Plan Movement committee member said, standing outside the gates of Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff on Friday.
“There were a few comments made during the week about farmers not being that bad yet that they didn’t have to sell their land.
"Those comments hit home hard with a lot of farmers and it seems to have garnered a lot of support in Cavan over the past few days," he told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Beef Plan protesters at Liffey Meats, Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan.
Came to a head
The protest came to a head Friday morning with a line of lorries backed up to the town trying to enter the factory.
Smith said: "We held firm. Some tried their best to drive across us and we were surprised at some of the abuse that some of the lorry drivers hit us with.”
The gardaí eventually made the protesters allow the cattle enter to free up the traffic in the town. About 30 to 40 farmers were present on Friday. The protest will continue on Sunday/Monday in advance of next week's kill.
Spat
“The price is why people are here. It can’t continue, farmers are losing millions of euro every week and that’s why we are here.
"A lot of farmers turned around when we talked to them but others jeered and spat at us which was very disappointing given that they are our fellow farmers,” Smith said.
The Beef Plan Movement claims there were 480 cattle booked in for slaughter on Friday but it estimates that only about 300 of those entered the factory.
Read more
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Farmer sustains ‘serious leg injuries’ at Slane Beef Plan protest
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“We’ve had massive support here since we started,” Pat Smith, Beef Plan Movement committee member said, standing outside the gates of Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff on Friday.
“There were a few comments made during the week about farmers not being that bad yet that they didn’t have to sell their land.
"Those comments hit home hard with a lot of farmers and it seems to have garnered a lot of support in Cavan over the past few days," he told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Beef Plan protesters at Liffey Meats, Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan.
Came to a head
The protest came to a head Friday morning with a line of lorries backed up to the town trying to enter the factory.
Smith said: "We held firm. Some tried their best to drive across us and we were surprised at some of the abuse that some of the lorry drivers hit us with.”
The gardaí eventually made the protesters allow the cattle enter to free up the traffic in the town. About 30 to 40 farmers were present on Friday. The protest will continue on Sunday/Monday in advance of next week's kill.
Spat
“The price is why people are here. It can’t continue, farmers are losing millions of euro every week and that’s why we are here.
"A lot of farmers turned around when we talked to them but others jeered and spat at us which was very disappointing given that they are our fellow farmers,” Smith said.
The Beef Plan Movement claims there were 480 cattle booked in for slaughter on Friday but it estimates that only about 300 of those entered the factory.
Read more
Beef Plan protests: factory by factory update
Farmer sustains ‘serious leg injuries’ at Slane Beef Plan protest
Trump gives green light for US-EU deal on hormone-free beef
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