On the 6th of July 2025, around 100 animal rights activists from Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland, reportedly coordinated by the group 269 Libération Animale, launched blockades at six slaughterhouses linked to the VanDrie Group in France and the Netherlands, protesting what they describe as “systematic cruelty” toward unweaned calves.
The group entered the sites overnight to halt operations at veal facilities operated by VanDrie, the world’s largest veal producer. Protesters targeted two slaughterhouses in France (Sobeval in Bouza and Tendriade in Châteaubourg) and four in the Netherlands (T. Boer & Zn, ESA, Ekro, and Ameco). VanDrie Group slaughters approximately 1.5 million calves annually, with over 400,000 killed each year at its Ekro facility alone.
Police arrested several activists during the protests, most of whom have now been released. The activist group has raised concerns about the treatment and possible injuries of those held in custody, in particular 27 Italian activists reportedly detained by French authorities near Périgueux.
The group chained themselves to machinery and conveyor belts and blocked the entrances to the complexes. Activist Mila told the local broadcaster in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, “We are protesting about the violence used on animals. They are discriminating against animals because they are animals…They think they can kill them and earn money, but this must be stopped.”
The activists involved cited multiple investigations by Eyes on Animals, Ethical Farming Ireland, and L214, which document that many young calves — some just weeks old and transported from Ireland — arrive at VanDrie slaughterhouses in what the groups describe to be a state of exhaustion, fear, and dehydration. They claim the animals endure journeys exceeding 30 hours, violating EU regulations requiring feeding every 19 hours.
In February 2024, the Dutch animal rights group Dier & Recht took the VanDrie Group to court, accusing the company of systematically breaking EU animal transport laws. VanDrie, a Dutch family-owned business controlling nearly every aspect of the veal supply chain, still denies allegations of misconduct.
