Animal rights activists charged after protest at southern Alberta turkey farm

Four animal rights protesters have been charged after allegedly breaking into a turkey farm near Fort Macleod in southern Alberta. 

RCMP say they were called around 7:15 a.m. on Sept. 2 to a rural property "in response to a large gathering of people protesting on a turkey farm and the adjacent highway."

About 80 people attended the protest against factory farming at the Jumbo Valley Hutterite turkey farm. The Labour Day event was dubbed "liberation lockdown."

Police said that once they arrived, they located several people inside a barn who had entered "unlawfully."

The situation was resolved peacefully, according to the RCMP, and was over by 12:15 p.m

• Five turkeys spared after 'liberation lockdown' descends on commercial farm in southern Alberta

Three adults and one 16-year-old girl have been charged with break and enter to commit mischief in relation to the incident and have been released from custody prior to court appearances.

Charges were laid against:

• Maxwell Ming Mah, 46, of Edmonton.
• Claire Buchanan, 28, of Calgary.
• Kennadi Rae Herbert, 24, of Pincher Creek.

The youth from Calgary cannot be named due to her age.

The three adults are scheduled to appear in Fort Macleod provincial court on Nov. 27. The teen is due to appear Nov. 15.

Trev Miller, an organizer with the animal rights movement, says he is disappointed about the charges. 

"It's past time we respect all animals in this province and country," he said in a release.

Four activists also chained themselves to the Alberta legislature today, demanding legal protection for animals and asking Premier Jason Kenney to listen to their concerns. They want to see an animal bill of rights "enshrined in the Constitution." 

It comes after his government implemented new measures to protect farmers from what it calls illegal protests.