Story By: Angjela Trajkovska, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: CEN

Video Credit: CEN/269Liberation.Animale

This is the moment a cop in riot gear stomps mercilessly on the chest on a female animal rights activist with both of his feet as desperate pals tell him “she can’t breathe”.

The footage shows the shocking moment the police officer stomps on the woman’s chest with both feet but it is currently unknown if any action is being taken against him.

According to reports, the activists protested inside the slaughterhouse in Riudellots de la Selva in the eastern Spanish region of Catalonia for 12 hours.

Pictures Credit: CEN/269Liberation.Animale

The 126 activists of different nationalities were said to be members of the French organisation ‘269 ‘Liberation Animale’ and they set free seven pigs during the 12-hour protest.

When the police arrived, the group reportedly refused to leave the building and staged a sit-in.

In the video footage, dozens of protesters are seen sitting in cramped, narrow enclosures as the police try to get to them.

At one point, a cop is seen stomping on the body of a woman sitting on the ground as she screams in fear. Towards the end of the video, a woman can be heard saying in French: “She can’t breathe anymore.”

According to reports, the police arrested two group members for attacking officers during the eviction.

The local authorities have slammed the group’s protest as illegal and vowed to take judicial action against those who broke into the abattoir, according to local media.

A police spokesperson said that the demonstration “might have presented a risk to food security and the animal’s welfare.”

Meanwhile, activist Mia Scott said: “We came here to fight. We only think about the animals and defending them.”

Protesters also said that they were “proud” of the demonstration as they managed to stop activity at the slaughterhouse for several hours, adding that they will continue their action across Europe to give a “voice” to the animals.