Animal Rights Activists Try Protesting in Steakhouse, Waitresses' Response Makes Them Wish the Police Arrived Instead
Extremists associated with a militant animal rights organization attempted to protest inside a London steakhouse on Saturday — and it didn’t end well.
Activists associated with a group called Animal Rebellion entered the Nusr-Et steakhouse, owned by Turkish celebrity chef Nusret Gokce, and sat at tables already reserved for diners, according to the U.K. Telegraph.
The stunt proved short-lived.
The activists were ultimately removed from the premises — not by law enforcement, but by waitresses working at the restaurant, according to the Telegraph.
Video of the incident shows restaurant staff physically carrying a protester out of the steakhouse.
Waitresses carry Animal Rebellion protesters out of London’s Salt Bae restaurant pic.twitter.com/ucEXftEvMe
— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) December 4, 2022
Animal Rebellion took responsibility for the steakhouse stunt in a tweet, taking aim at the restaurant’s meats for “environmental destruction” and “animal exploitation.”
Gokce, the restaurant’s owner, is known by the nickname “Salt Bae” — an acronym for “before anyone else.” He’s known for a signature way of salting cooked meats that’s become an internet meme.
Supporters of Animal Rebellion are getting dragged out by security at @nusr_et ‘s restaurant in London!
The restaurant is famed for its steaks – products of environmental destruction and worker and animal exploitation.
This is not a sustainable food system.#PlantBasedFuture pic.twitter.com/n3SbNkBEpa
— Animal Rebellion (@RebelsAnimal) December 3, 2022
The group also took responsibility for a protest in a restaurant in Manchester, England, the same evening.
!Happening now!
16 more supporters of Animal Rebellion have occupied #Mana, a @MichelinGuideUK restaurant.
The restaurant serves a set menu starting at £195 per person. Whilst 2 million in the UK rely on food banks, high-end restaurants are catering to a wealthy minority. pic.twitter.com/X2qYJ4FfG3
— Animal Rebellion (@RebelsAnimal) December 3, 2022
Police ultimately arrived at the scene of the Nusr-Et restaurant, but indicated that the trespassing protest had already been resolved at that point, according to the Telegraph.
“At 18:08hrs on Saturday, 3 December police were made aware of a protest at a restaurant in Knightsbridge, SW1. The group subsequently left the area and police attendance was not required.”
Animal Rebellion is connected to Extinction Rebellion, an environmentalist group known for staging disruptive and forceful protests in the United Kingdom, according to the Telegraph.
Animal Rebellion activists objected to the manner in which the restaurant staff removed them from the premises, according to the Telegraph.
“It was tougher than police would do it,” activist Orin Cooley-Greene told the newspaper.
Another member of the group said it was clear the restaurant’s patrons weren’t on the protesters’ side.
“We’re a group of non-violent protesters also campaigning for a plant-based food system,” Animal Rebellion activist Ben Thomas told the Telegraph.
“We just sat there, wait staff were quite civil, but the members of the public — two of them got quite aggressive at one point.
“The woman kept giving me really dirty looks just for being there,” he said. “The customers clapped as we were picked up and taken outside.”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
