Members of the L214 association hold dead chickens during a demonstration to denounce the use of genetically manipulated chickens by the French food company “Le Gaulois”, on February 15, 2024 in Paris (AFP/BERTRAND GUAY)
“Genetically manipulated chicken”: to prohibit L214 from affixing this notice to trays of Le Gaulois poultry in stores, the agri-food group LDC summoned the animal rights association for summary proceedings on Tuesday.
LDC, which markets the Le Gaulois and Maître Coq brands, complains of being the victim of a campaign of “denigration” and “disinformation” on the part of L214. Denouncing the conditions of breeding of so-called broiler chickens, activists from the animal rights association carried out actions in 25 points of sale, where they applied stickers stating “genetically manipulated chicken” on trays of poultry.
Arguing that this campaign causes a “manifestly unlawful disturbance” and imminent harm to the group, LDC filed an hour-to-hour summary action (emergency procedure), asking the judge to take rapid measures to make it cease.
This legal action against L214 “is a first on the part of LDC which has been extraordinarily patient but here, we have gone beyond a stage”, justified LDC’s lawyer, Antoine de Brosses, during a hearing at the Strasbourg judicial court.
“Unless you agree to take the law into your own hands, you have no right to harm our products,” insisted Mr. de Brosses.
L214, which made itself known by broadcasting shocking images filmed in secret on farms or slaughterhouses, was created in 2008 and today has around a hundred employees.
L214’s lawyer, Me Caroline Lanty, argued that “since the association existed, we have learned things that we did not know”.
The aim of the campaign targeting Le Gaulois is to put an end to “bad breeding practices”, in particular the use of “ultra-rapidly growing” strains of chickens, she said.
“LDC uses the Ross 308 strain for its broiler chickens”, in order to have a “chicken which grows faster, which produces ever more meat in an ever shorter time”, she said.
The agri-food group LDC (Le Gaulois) summons the animal rights association L214 for interim relief (AFP/Archives/Lionel BONAVENTURE)
If it adopted a “protest tone”, the association “remained within the limits of freedom of expression”, and did not make “any insulting or excessive remarks”, argued Me Lanty. She described a “fairly good-natured operation”, relying on “repositionable” stickers which “do not alter the product” and “do not prevent marketing”.
The summary judge will deliver his decision on Thursday at 2:00 p.m.
© 2024 AFP
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