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Trial Begins in Sonoma County for DxE Operative Charged with Conspiracy, Burglary, and Theft

  • Sonoma County Family Farmers Alliance
  • Oct 3
  • 3 min read

Updated: Oct 6

Over 3,500 Residents Sign Petition in Support of Sonoma County Poultry Workers


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Petaluma, Calif. — The trial of Zoe Rosenberg, a Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) operative began this week in Sonoma County Superior Court. Rosenberg faces one felony conspiracy charge and three misdemeanor counts, including trespassing and theft. The charges allege Rosenberg illegally entered a Petaluma Poultry facility in 2023 disguised as an employee and stole multiple chickens from the property. 


“Direct Action Everywhere has been terrorizing hardworking farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers in our county for years,” said Dayna Ghirardelli, Executive Director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. “If they truly cared about animal welfare, they would know that Sonoma County is a leader in responsible animal agriculture. Instead, they’re focused on bullying and intimidating the agriculture community in an attempt to advance their extreme agenda of ending meat consumption in America.” 


Beth Bruzzone, Support Our Local Farmers Petition Signer and long-time Sonoma County Resident, stated: “ I am outraged by the reckless actions of DxE and Zoe Rosenberg. Their behavior has endangered our food security and inflicted real harm on our local poultry farmers and agricultural workers. It is time for accountability and justice to prevail.” 


“This break-in was not an isolated incident. It follows a troubling pattern of unlawful conduct linked to Zoe Rosenberg and members of Direct Action Everywhere, who have repeatedly carried out coordinated trespasses and thefts under the banner of activism. In this case, the group entered federally regulated premises at night disguised as employees and removed animals, triggering serious concerns about contamination, biosecurity and the integrity of the food supply chain,” said Herb Frerichs, General Counsel for Petaluma Poultry. “The fact that the defendant and her lawyer are comparing these actions to shoplifting from a grocery store shows their complete lack of understanding of the severity of her conduct and continued disregard for the law.” 


“We live in a country where when you break the law you pay the price. Your personal opinion about whether people should eat meat does not overrule the laws that we must all follow. We expect the jury will agree with that basic understanding of our system,” added Frerichs. “The bottom line is that theft is still theft, breaking and entering is still breaking and entering, and remain a crime in the state of California, which Rosenberg was fully aware of.”  


Poultry is part of DxE’s ongoing intimidation campaign to eliminate animal agriculture altogether. Their campaign includes: 


  • Breaking into chicken houses under cover of darkness to steal livestock, recklessly jeopardizing biosecurity and animal health. 

  • Accessing company data and privileged information through private computer systems. 

  • Harassing associates and their families at private residences. 

  • Disrupting businesses and restaurants across Northern California. 


Their agenda would devastate the local animal agriculture industry, erase jobs and threaten the security of our region’s food supply. 


This reckless attempt to wipe out local farming goes against Sonoma County’s long history of responsible animal agriculture – and the community has shown they disagree. In just the past month, more than 3,500 residents have signed a petition supporting local farms and families that depend on them.  


Petaluma Poultry is a recognized leader in free-range and organic poultry, with farms and facilities subject to rigorous audits and government oversight. The company remains united with its associates and neighbors against these illegal tactics and will continue to defend the region’s food supply, the importance of local agriculture, and the future of responsible animal farming. Allegations being circulated by DxE are false, misleading and designed to advance a radical agenda rather than change animal care practices. 

 


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