Whole Foods Seeks Restraining Order Against Berkeley Animal Rights Protesters Direct Action Everywhere | Eater SF

"At the Berkeley store at 3000 Telegraph Avenue, I report that the Amazon-owned Whole Foods is seeking a temporary restraining order against members of the East Bay animal-rights group Direct Action Everywhere and its co-founder Wayne Hsiung ahead of a planned week of #OccupyWholeFoods protests. DxE has targeted Whole Foods’ Bay Area locations for years—since 2014 the group, whose stated goal is “total animal liberation,” has alleged animal cruelty by many Whole Foods suppliers and staged frequent in-store demonstrations in which members have dressed in fake blood and allegedly obstructed aisles. According to a Whole Foods representative, DxE members have repeatedly entered stores and property to conduct demonstrations that disrupt customers and team members by blocking access to aisles, departments, and cash registers, interfering with business and putting safety at risk; in a complaint filed in Alameda County Superior Court, Whole Foods seeks to assert its right to manage and operate its business on company property free from repeated trespasses and other unlawful conduct. DxE’s spokesperson, Matt Johnson, says the company’s legal crackdown escalated after the Amazon acquisition, and with a court date tomorrow the fate of the planned occupation is currently unclear as they await the court’s decision and plan to respond accordingly." - Caleb Pershan