As we countdown to Anzac Day, we take time again to reflect on the sacrifice of our servicemen and women in all wars and ask ourselves just what it is they were fighting for. Inevitably, free speech and liberty are at the top of the list.

But just as there must be restrictions on the concept of free speech so must there be restrictions on the right to protest.

And many of the self-styled vegan vigilantes who took part in Monday's co-ordinated protests against Australia's meat producers simply crossed the line.

Footage of the protesters trespassing on farms and stressing livestock have done their cause far more damage than good.

And given their views only represent just a small minority of the Australian population's thoughts on such matters, you would have thought the protesters would have been more interested in making new friends than making more enemies.

It is fine in this country for people to believe that killing animals for human consumption is wrong.

It is fine in this country to protest strongly against the relatively few cases of terrible animal cruelty in the industry that have been brought to light in recent times.

But it is not fine in this country to believe your narrow views somehow give you licence to disrupt the operations of a perfectly legal business.

Times are tough enough for Australia's farmers at the moment without having to also deal with the self-righteous mob who chose to take part in Monday's co-ordinated protests. And for what?

If the protesters were trying to bring attention to their cause then they undoubtedly succeeded.

But if they were trying to win support for the cause they may have failed miserably.

Sadly, though, that will not concern them in the least because they will go away falsely comforted by the belief they somehow hold the moral high ground.

But the real moral high ground here belongs to the vast majority of professional, sensible and experienced Australian farmers who fight through droughts and floods to keep putting food on our plates and export dollars in the bank.

The farmers have the support of most Australians and also most of our politicians.

And unless the protesters start building bridges instead of barriers, their campaigns have no prospect of success.