As the article reports, Animal Liberation were breaking the law to conduct “open rescues”:

Despite the doubts, Andrew remained active enough to be part of a midnight raid on a battery hen farm at Wallan in June. The raid, or “open rescue” as the animal activists call it, saved 14 hens from a cruel death in excrement pits – which have no food or water – beneath their cages.

Andrew played an important role. He dived into the excrement pit and saved several hens, including one given the name Martha, who weighed only 400 grams instead of a healthy 1.8 kilograms.

Yes, they were breaking and entering. But, if this was the worst that Animal Liberation was getting up to, at the very least this is a huge waste of police resources.

If activist groups show signs of planning serious crimes, that is of course an appropriate target for police investigation. Whichever government organization was responsible for getting an undercover officer in with Benbrika’s hotheads was clearly doing the right thing by doing so. But despite the claims by the Victoria Police that the bad old days are over, these examples smell a little like the police playing at being spies on largely harmless groups for no particularly good reason. And, to give Red Ted Baillieu credit, he’s actually demonstrated some small-l liberal credentials by at least asking what safeguards are in place to prevent inappropriate surveillance.

So, own up, LP readers. Which one of you is the undercover cop?