Six activists who refused to leave a Utrecht restaurant because it was serving foie gras are guilty of disturbing the peace but won’t face any punishment.

A magistrate at Midden-Nederland district court ruled on Thursday that the six did breach acceptable boundaries by chaining themselves to the furniture and chanting while seated in the Bistronomme Des Arts restaurant.

The restaurant is not a public place and the owner was prevented from running her business, the magistrate said. In addition, both other customers and the owner were intimidated by being shouted at.

Nevertheless, the magistrate decided against imposing any sentence on the six, partly because they had spent several hours at the police station following their arrest.

Foie gras is produced by force-feeding geese to produce large, fatty livers. Its production is illegal in the Netherlands but it can be imported and sold.

After the incident the restaurant owner said she would remove the delicacy from the menu. She and her son lived above the premises and she told local media that she no longer felt safe.