On Sunday 27 September 2026 a group of activists entered a sow farm in Markvartice in the Jihlava area to draw attention to conditions in farrowing crates; the police escorted 24 people out of the premises.
On Sunday 27 September 2026, a group of animal rights activists staged a protest at a sow farm in the village of Markvartice in the Jihlava area. The activists entered the premises, where, using photographs and banners reading "Legální neznamená morální" ("Legal does not mean moral"), they tried in a non-violent way to draw attention to the conditions in which sows are kept in farrowing crates.[1]
Course of the action
A spokeswoman for the protesters said that the activists had chosen the Markvartice farm at random as an example of agricultural farms in which sows give birth in farrowing crates and for several weeks cannot move freely in them.[1]
The activists also published a set of photographs which, in their view, document conditions on some farms; these images were unrelated to Markvartice. Other photographs from the premises showed activists beside pens in which the animals and the surroundings were kept clean.[1]
The activists described conditions in the farrowing crates as follows: the mothers of the piglets are forced to give birth to large numbers of young and then lie on concrete in a small crate in which they can only lie, stand or sit without being able to turn around, for five weeks, in an environment with excrement and a strong smell.[1]
Intervention and the farm's response
A farm attendant alerted a representative of the company on Sunday at around 6:50 to the presence of people in the building who did not want to leave it. Representatives of the company then contacted the police, and several patrols arrived at the scene. The activists did not comply with calls to leave the premises, and the police eventually escorted 24 people out of the farm.[1]
A spokeswoman for the farm said that by entering the farrowing unit the activists had violated the veterinary act, because contact with the animals risks introducing diseases such as African swine fever. According to her, the farm keeps 120 sows, 80 gilts and their piglets.[1]
A police spokeswoman said that all 24 people taken into custody were released after the necessary procedures had been carried out. They are suspected of misdemeanour conduct, but according to the police it is not ruled out that the legal classification will change.[1]
Operator of the farm
The farm in Markvartice is operated by Zemědělská společnost Stará Říše s. r. o.; according to public registers it has 39 partners and farms more than 1,000 hectares of fields and meadows.[1]
Related articles: Jihlava, Markvartice, Police of the Czech Republic
Chronology
- — According to veterinarians, the number of miscarriages among sows increased after activists entered a pig farm in Markvartice. iDNES.cz Jihlavská Drbna
- — Activists entered a sow farm in Markvartice in the Jihlava region to draw attention to farming conditions; police escorted them out of the premises. Deník: Vysočina Deník: Vysočina
- — Activists occupied a pig farm near Telč in the Jihlava area, and police escorted them out of the premises. Novinky.cz Seznam Zprávy
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Addition on the course of the action
According to Seznam Zprávy, more than twenty activists entered the farm, while others protested with banners in front of the farm's gate.[2] They entered the premises, where piglets are reared, shortly before 7 a.m.[3] The police first called on the people inside the barn to leave and after about two hours began to take them away in police vehicles.[2] According to the company's representative, by entering the farrowing unit the activists endangered the health of the animals.[2] According to Novinky.cz, the management of Zemědělská společnost Stará Říše did not wish to comment on the event.[3]
A spokeswoman for the protest group, who did not want to give her name, told ČTK that if dogs or cats lived in comparable conditions, many more people would protest, in her view.[2]
Consequences and investigation
On 1 October 2026 the Státní veterinární správa (SVS) stated that, following the unauthorised entry of the activists into the farm on Sunday 27 September, a higher number of miscarriages was appearing among the sows. According to the SVS, the presence of many unfamiliar people caused the animals excessive stress, and the entry of people who had not passed through the hygiene lock exposed the animals to the risk of introducing a dangerous disease, for example African swine fever, classical swine fever or Aujeszky's disease. The regional veterinary administration is to carry out an investigation at the farm [4][5].
The increased number of miscarriages was also confirmed by the managing director of Zemědělská společnost Stará Říše, which operates the farm. He did not give exact figures, citing the ongoing investigation by the police and the veterinary administration. According to iDNES.cz, the farm keeps about 120 sows and around 80 piglets [4].
Activists of the Legální neznamená morální initiative said in a statement on Instagram that when entering the farm they wore protective overalls and shoe covers and disinfected their footwear before entering the hall [5].
On 27 September the police took 24 people into custody and released them after carrying out the necessary procedures. They are suspected of a misdemeanour; according to a police spokeswoman, a change of legal classification is not ruled out; by Thursday 1 October none had taken place [4][5].
Sources
- iDNES.cz — 27 September 2026
- Seznam Zprávy — 27 September 2026
- Novinky.cz — 27 September 2026
- iDNES.cz — 1 October 2026
- Novinky.cz — 1 October 2026
- Jihlavská Drbna — 1 October 2026