The co-founder of the animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere, Wayne Hsiung, has been ordered to pay over $191,000 in restitution to two Sonoma County poultry farms.
The Press Democrat reports the ruling follows Hsiung’s November 2023 conviction by a jury on misdemeanor trespass counts and one felony count of conspiracy to commit trespass, stemming from protests staged several years ago. Hsiung was ordered to pay $87,000 to Sunrise Farms and $104,000 to Weber Family Farms.
The District Attorney stated the order underscores the “significant financial harm” caused by the group’s illegal activities, which included refusing to leave properties, entering structures, and removing chickens.
The decision comes as another DxE organizer is scheduled to be sentenced today in a separate protest case.