Animal Rebellion activists pour milk in Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges stores
How dair-they! Vegan activists from Animal Rebellion are filmed pouring milk over floor of Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges stores
- Animal Rebellion activists hold milk-based protests at two high-end stores today
- They took milk bottles from shelves of Fortnum & Mason and poured it on carpet
- 45 minutes later they poured milk over cheese stand at Selfridges on Oxford St
Two vegan activists today poured milk over the floor of the food halls at Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges in London as part of their campaign for a ‘plant-based future’.
A bearded man and a woman wearing a white dress first entered Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly at 11.45am this morning where they took milk bottles from the shelves.
The duo who were from Animal Rebellion – an offshoot of the Extinction Rebellion group – then emptied the bottles over the store’s red carpet before walking out.
Soon after at 12.30pm they were filmed brazenly pouring milk over a cheese stand at Selfridges on Oxford Street before being frogmarched out by security guards.
The group also claimed that one of its protesters was ‘assaulted’, which appeared to be when a man put his arm in front of the woman’s neck as he directed her out.
The activists from Animal Rebellion pour milk over the red carpet at Fortnum & Mason today
The bearded man and a woman wearing a white dress held the protest in Fortnum & Mason
Sofia Fernandes Pontes, a student and mother from the Portuguese island of Madeira, who is the woman in the video, said: ‘I don’t want to see my children grow up in a world surrounded by drought, destruction of nature, and food shortages.
‘I want them to see a world full of wildlife and beauty. Transitioning to a plant-based future is simply essential if we want to see a better world for everyone.
‘Supporting farmers to move into profitable and sustainable plant-based production is a no-brainer for (Prime Minister) Liz Truss and (Environment Secretary) Ranil Jayawardena.’
Steve Bone, a father and photographer from Thorpe-Le-Soken in Essex, who was the man in the videos, said: ‘I took action throughout September to push for a plant-based future, and I am taking action again today because Liz Truss and Ranil Jayawardena are still refusing to listen.
The duo held the milk-based protest in Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly at 11.45am this morning
The activists took milk bottles from the shelves at Fortnum & Mason before pouring them out
The duo eventually left Fortnum & Mason after their protest involving the milk bottles today
‘My little girl’s future is on the line and the Government’s response is to ignore advice from Oxford and Harvard and, instead, opt to drive us all further into the climate, ecological, and cost-of-living crises.’
The group cited a report from the University of Oxford in 2018 which it said showed that ’76 per cent of the land currently used for food production would be freed-up by a global transition to plant-based production’.
It also referred to a 2019 Harvard University study on UK farmland and food production which it said concluded ‘that the UK would be carbon-negative if it completely transitioned to a plant-based food system’.
Animal Rebellion has carried out a series of protests in recent months aimed at disrupting the dairy industry and pressuring the Government on its demands.
The protesters also then carried out a demonstration at Selfridges on Oxford Street today
The Animal Rebellion activists pour milk over a cheese stand at Selfridges this afternoon
The protesters are eventually escorted out by security guards after the Selfridges protest
The group also claimed that one of its protesters was ‘assaulted’ at Selfridges today, which appeared to be when a man put his arm in front of the woman’s neck as he directed her out
The bearded man speaks to a security guard before the duo are led out of Selfridges today
The security guard removes the Animal Rebellion protesters from the Selfridges store today
Its first demand is that the Government ‘supports farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system’.
Its second demand is that the Government ‘commits to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown’.
Last month the group tried to disrupt the delivery of dairy, with one protest seeing them glue themselves to the entrance of a busy dairy facility in Droitwich, Worcestershire, to cut supply off at the source.
Members of the group were also arrested last month for spraying ‘fake milk’ white paint at Big Ben ahead of Liz Truss ‘s first Prime Minister’s Questions.