The group of Active for Justice protesters was arrested on January 6 in Bistronome Des Arts, a renowned restaurant in the center of Utrecht.
The activists themselves called it ‘a playful occupation’; they refused to leave until the foie gras disappeared from the menu. Foie gras is the fatty liver of ducks or geese. The animals are fattened in a short time by means of a funnel or tube, a practice that is prohibited in the Netherlands. But its sale is not prohibited.
Six activists, aged 21 to 37, were arrested for refusing to leave the restaurant. Two of them had chained themselves and had to be cut loose by the police.
A guest of the restaurant suffered a leg injury during the action. He slipped on leaflets handed out by activists and then had to go to the hospital.
An activist told the judge to ‘take the law into his own hands’. Earlier calls to the restaurant, and demonstrations in front of the door, to remove the dish from the menu yielded nothing, according to the activist. When asked by the police judge why Active for Justice does not turn to national politicians, the group said that the procedure is taking too long.
Intimidating
According to the judge, the activists crossed a border because they continued to demonstrate inside despite calls from the owner and the police. The owner of the restaurant is hindered in running her business, says the judge.
The judge says the action was intimidating. However, the activists will not receive any further punishment, because they have been detained at the police station for several hours on that day.
