A VEGAN group connected to the invasion of an abattoir at Yangan near Warwick in April has been granted $35,000 by the Palaszczuk government.
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The money was provided through the Gambling Community Benefit Fund, which issues grants to not-for-profit organisations providing services, leisure activities and opportunities for Queensland communities.
Farm Animal Rescue president Brad King denied his not-for-profit sanctuary at Dayboro was involved in the abattoir protest or that it was an activist organisation.
"Our mission is the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of animals, and the promotion of kind choices that minimise harm to farmed animals," Mr King said.
"Farm Animal Rescue was not involved in the invasion, or the organisation of the action. Our involvement began when we were asked to rescue three lambs that had been surrendered by the facility."
The lines are at best, blurred and understate Mr King's central role in the Yangan protest.
Mr King attended the April 8 protest involving more than 200 activists, acting in a high profile role as the protesters' appointed media spokesperson throughout the abattoir invasion.
For hard-earned tax payers' money to be finding its way into extremist groups' pockets is disgraceful and must be immediately overturned.
- Tony Perrett, Opposition agriculture spokesman
He was identified as being from Farm Animal Rescue by the various media outlets reporting on the early morning raid, despite later working to separate his organisation from the protest.
"We were asking for two things. One was for some animals to be rescued, which of course is great because that's happened, but the primary thing we're asking for is actually an improvement in the transparency of this industry," he told ABC News.
Mr King also transported the three sheep given to the "chained on" protesters in exchange for the activists leaving the abattoir in his own vehicle back to Farm Animal Rescue's property at Dayboro.
Adding to confusion is Farm Animal Rescue's Facebook page contains activist material, including a video produced by hardline activist group Sentient, which calls for Israel to stop importing Australian cattle.
The Farm Animal Rescue post says the video documents abhorrent cruelty on remote Australian cattle stations and calls for change.
LNP agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said it was outrageous the Palaszczuk government was directly funding animal extremist groups.
"The manager of this Farm Animal Rescue group, Brad King, was one of the key players during the Carey Brothers abattoir invasion at Yangan," Mr Perrett said.
"For hard-earned tax payers' money to be finding its way into extremist groups' pockets is disgraceful and must be immediately overturned. Not only does this government let extremists get away with terrorising our farmers scot-free, it is now directly funding them to do so."
