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Animal Rebellion protestors pour milk onto floor inside Manchester M&S
The campaign group says its actions are ‘necessary’ to get the government to listen to the benefits of a plant-based diet
Animal Rebellion protestors targeted the M&S store in Manchester city centre over the weekend, where they emptied cartons of milk onto the floor and placed placards over joints of beef.
Footage shared by the group, which campaigns for ‘animal and climate justice’, on Saturday (October 15th) showed two activists opening large cartons of milk and emptying the contents onto the floor, while three other activists stood holding signs that read: “Plant based future”.
The signs were also placed over steaks and joints of beef.
Passing-by shoppers seemed stunned by the display, with one man heard saying angrily: “Take off your shoes then, they’re not plant-based.”
Sharing footage of the incident onto Twitter, Animal Rebellion wrote: “Happening now in Manchester! Concerned individuals have just poured milk on the floors of @marksandspencer on Market Street! Calling for a transition to a #PlantBasedFuture”.
The group said the incident in Manchester was part of a day of action happening in supermarkets all across the nation, including at the Harrods store in London as well as a number of other M&S and Waitrose stores.
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However, they have been met with a wave of backlash as a result of their protests, with many people slamming them for wasting food during a cost of living crisis.
One person commented on Twitter: “This is utterly abhorrent and has clearly been done by people that have never had to go without food. If you wanted to lose any supporters for your cause, congratulations.”
Another pointed out the extra work the protestors were making for supermarket cleaners, adding: “Pathetic. Let’s hope no one slips over, that the workers are okay cleaning it up, that those in a poverty don’t see this waste, that the farmers can provide more milk to the store for customers.”
A third noted: “Food waste is the third largest contributor to co2 gases, so the concerned individuals have added to that as well. Wrong on all counts.”
Animal Rebellion says it is calling for a plant-based future, while highlighting the need to support farmers in transitioning to a sustainable plant-based food system.
The group says the disruption in supermarkets is ‘necessary’ to get those in power to listen to academics on the benefits a plant-based future can bring to the planet.