Tension erupts on a Wisconsin farm
About a thousand people tried to enter the Ridglan Farms facilities this Saturday. Their goal: to release some 2,000 beagles bred for scientific research. Police responded with rubber bullets and pepper spray.
It was the second attempt in two months. Activists jumped over barricades that included a manure ditch and barbed wire. Some managed to get over the outer fence, but did not reach the buildings where the dogs are.
“It is not a peaceful protest”
Police Chief Kalvin Barrett was direct. In an official video, he stated that between 300 and 400 protesters “were trying to violently break into the property.” He said they attacked officers and blocked roads for emergency vehicles.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett stated unambiguously.
Authorities arrested a “significant” number of people, although they did not give exact numbers because they were still processing detainees until the afternoon.
The community of Blue Mounds, a small town 25 miles from Madison, is divided. While some support the cause of animal welfare, others question the methods. The police response is already drawing criticism for what some consider excessive force.
What began as an act of civil disobedience ended with images that seem taken from other types of conflicts. And the debate about what is legitimate to defend—and how to defend it—is once again on the table.
