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Vegan protesters crash steakhouse to demand dog meat

A group of vegans have staged a colourful protest in a Canadian steakhouse, demanding to know why dog meat was not on the menu.

After dealing with a bemused host, the group proceeds to demand the attention of diners before loudly chanting its opposition to the consumption of animal products.

We’re sure vegans have a lot of good points but one has to stop and question whether disrupting everyone’s dinner to demand dog steak is the right way to make them.

A group from called Direct Action Everywhere Toronto (they’re from Toronto) has launched what it hopes to be a viral marketing campaign against the evils contained in meat. Their #DogMeatPlease hashtag campaign has been designed as a comment on their perceived hypocrisy my carnivores and omnivores who will happily eat some animals, but not others.

The group began chanting at steakhouse diners until it was escorted from the building. Photo: YouTube
The group began chanting at steakhouse diners until it was escorted from the building. Photo: YouTube

The vegephiles set upon The Keg Mansion Steakhouse and Bar in Toronto earlier this week, delivered some cheesey stand up about the conspicuous lack of dog on the menu, and moved on to stimulate some debate.

Loudly.

As bemused and annoyed diners rolled their eyes, the group chanted: "It's not just meat. It's violence," until they were removed to the sidewalk.

The protesters were told their presence was a fire hazard. Photo: YouTube
The protesters were told their presence was a fire hazard. Photo: YouTube

According to their Facebook page, the stunt was part of a day of action and their first ‘disruption’ of the day.

They carried on to disrupt a butcher and a few other businesses, mostly by writing 'Dog Meat Please' with chalk on footpaths.

The group appears happy with its efforts, but praise for the events has been, shall we say, localised.

Traffic to their #DogMeatPlease has been slow to date and what does appear under the tag is a debate about their methods rather than their points.

Many vegans argue the consumption of meat and dairy products is both a drain on the planet's resources and a cruel and inhumane way to treat living creatures.

This group has used its Facebook page to defend its protests though, saying vegans have felt emboldened by their actions.

“First, our goal isn’t so much to disrupt the people who are in an establishment, or even to disrupt the establishment itself (although obviously we are disrupting both),” Direct Action Everywhere Toronto wrote on its Facebook wall.

“Second, we are reaching out to fellow vegans and would-be activists who may feel alone, disempowered or even ridiculed.”

Other high profile vegan pages and videobloggers have been less than complimentary about the groups actions.

But, for Direct Action Everywhere Toronto's part, the group appears to be taking the view that all publicity is good publicity.

Morning news break - September 30