There’s been no shortage of vegan protesters in the news recently as they fight for animal rights. But, while protests usually take place in busy city streets or hubs, shoppers at a Countdown supermarket in Auckland were left stunned this week when activists targeted the meat aisle of their local store.
As customers were trying to do their grocery shopping and purchase meat at the St Lukes store on Sunday, they were confronted by protesters who blocked the meat section and held up signs which read ‘stop eating animals’, ‘be kind, be vegan’ and ‘it’s not food, it’s violence’. Many of them also wore masks over their faces.
In a video shared on YouTube, protest organiser Deno Stock said he and other activists took to the Woolworths-owned supermarket in New Zealand to raise awareness for animals whose “body parts are cut up and put in the supermarket”. He explained: “There’s no need for us to eat meat whatsoever. We can live quite healthily without eating animals.”
Stock explained that all animals go to the same place “to have their throats cut” no matter how they lived before. He added: “I think the way those animal parts have been put in the supermarket is far more extreme than what we’re doing. We’re not doing any damage, we’re just standing there with signs and raising awareness.”
Meanwhile, another organiser named Anna Rippon said the protest was all about giving a voice to the animals killed and sold as meat. Speaking to customers she said: “We’re having a peaceful protest for the victims who don’t get seen or heard behind clothes doors, lying here dead behind us now.”
Footage showed a staff member from Countdown confronting the protesters and asking if they had permission to be in the store. Rippon, who was filming the exchange, explained that they didn’t and that the group were there for a “peaceful protest for the victims”.
One angry customer could be heard telling protesters to get their cameras out of his face and told the them he was “disgusted” they were at the store. Another lady also became angry when protesters began filming her without her permission.
“Take your camera off me. I’m doing my f****** shopping,” she yelled. “Unless you’re going to pay for my shopping you can f*** off.”
That customer could also be seen ripping up pieces of paper one protester gave her and pushing another out of the way. The protesters then began walking through the aisles of the store with a megaphone, chanting, “It’s not food, it’s violence” and “there’s no excuse for animal abuse”.
Elsewhere in the video, a security guard could be seen escorting the protestors out of the store, before they made their way to a food court and began protesting in front of a McDonald’s restaurant. Footage of the protest has since spread across the internet, with people sharing their views on social media. Some people agreed with the message of the protest, with one person on Facebook writing: “Absolutely brilliant, time people were made aware of the truth. Good activism.”
Another comment read: “Thank you for standing up for the animals, compassionate and brave individuals,” while a third added: “Peaceful protest to highlight the truth. Heroes! So glad someone is speaking up for the innocent.”
However others disagreed and slammed the actions of the protesters, with one person on Facebook explaining: “I hope these vegans realise how much of our life saving medical technology/products are reliant on meat processing byproducts and there are NO alternatives.”
Another post read: “The entire world does not need to be vegan! It’s your choice it’s your life, so butt out of everyone else’s life and leave them be,” while a further message read: “Shouldn’t force your life choices you make on others, everyone has a choice to make their own decisions. Sometimes it’s just educating people on the health benefits and also budgeting for families who aren’t able to choose this sort of lifestyle.”