The animal rights association L214 was ordered by the judge to cease all campaigns accusing the Le Gaulois group of “genetic manipulation” of its chickens (AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE)
The animal rights association L214 was ordered by the judge to cease any campaign accusing the Le Gaulois group of “genetic manipulation” of its chickens, Thursday in Strasbourg.
L214 had been assigned by the LDC group, which notably markets the brands Le Gaulois and Maître Coq and claimed to be the victim of a campaign of “denigration” and “disinformation” on the part of the association, whose head office is in Strasbourg.
Denouncing the conditions of breeding of so-called broiler chickens, activists from the animal defense association carried out actions in 25 points of sale where they applied stickers indicating “genetically manipulated chicken” on trays of poultry in the rays.
The summary judge on Thursday prohibited L214 from using this mention on stickers targeting Le Gaulois poultry and ordered it to delete the internet pages relating to this counter-advertising campaign.
“The association takes note of this decision and is appealing it immediately, to the extent that it disproportionately undermines its freedom of expression and its means of action,” the association’s lawyer told AFP. L214, Me Caroline Lanty.
“L214 exceeded its freedom of expression by wanting to +shock customers of the Le Gaulois brand+, by seeking to denigrate the brand and by wanting to +publicly discredit+ its products,” LDC management reacted in a press release.
“Particularly in the context of the agricultural crisis that we are going through, we regret that organizations are attacking French breeding and breeders, against our Le Gaulois brand, and attacking the free choice of consumers,” he added. estimated LDC.
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)
L214 criticizes it for using the ultra-rapid growing Ross 308 strain for its so-called broiler chickens.
“We are not going to let this happen: we are applying the decision, but we are appealing because we cannot let LDC intimidate us and prevent us from revealing the suffering of the animals raised for its brands Le Gaulois, Marie and Maître Coq,” reacted in a press release Brigitte Gothière, co-founder of the L214 association.
She assured that the campaign “asking LDC to put an end to the ultra-rapid growth of chickens will continue” with “different stickers”, and promised new actions “soon”.
The association, 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 full-time employees.