All 76 animal rights activists who were arrested for occupying a pig farm near Boxtel have been released, the public prosecution department has confirmed.

Most of the 76 people picked up came from abroad and will be ordered to appear at one of two court sittings in August, one for the nine Dutch activists and one for the rest.

One person who came to support the farmers was also arrested for damaging a police car and the police are also investigating damage caused to several demonstrators’ cars.

Police now say around 150 people from the Meat the Victims collective entered the farm, and riot police moved it at around 10pm on Monday to clear them.

Some sat inside the pig barn while others chanted slogans such as ‘there is no excuse for animal abuse’ outside. The group say they picked the farm at random, describing it as a symbol for everything that is wrong with the livestock industry.