On Saturday, October 8th, two activists were found not guilty on all counts after a weeklong trial in Washington County, Utah. Wayne Hsiung and Paul Darwin Picklesimer of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) were accused of burglary and theft after removing two sick pigs from a Smithfield Foods farm. The pair were facing a total of five and a half years each.
Smithfield Foods Farm Investigation & Rescue
Hsiung and Picklessimer, along with other members of the international animal activists network, DxE, investigated Smithfield Foods Circle Four Farms in Milford, Utah. The investigation took place over the course of a year from 2017-2018.
Smithfield Foods is the largest producer of meat from pigs in the United States, producing one-fourth of all pig products. The company is owned by WH Group in China, the largest