Animal rebellion activists targeted Waitrose in Morningside on Saturday (October 15), grabbing milk from the shelves and pouring it out. While emptying a bottle of semi-skimmed milk, one protester said the dairy industry is “responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the oil giants”.
He said: “The four major dairy companies are responsible for most of the methane emissions. The milk is unfit for human consumption. When calves are taken from their mothers, when mothers are forcibly impregnated …”.
When a staff member tried to intervene, the woman said it was a non-violent protest. A second protester said: “We’ve tried other democratic means, they don’t work.”
The video of the incident was uploaded to Twitter where it has more than six million views. Reacting to the stunt, Edinburgh Labor councilor Scott Arthur wrote: “There is a serious debate about the environmental impact of the food we eat, but this is not it. Well done to the staff who stayed for clean up this mess.”
It is included as part of Animal Rebellion’s coordinated action up and down the UK, targeting stores including Waitrose, Whole Foods and Marks and Spencer in London, Manchester, Norwich and Edinburgh around lunchtime of Saturday
Footage shows a number of protesters pouring milk, taken from the shelves, onto display windows in Harrods’ dining room in Knightsbridge. Another group was filmed emptying bottles of milk onto the floor and onto a table laden with cheeses at Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly.
Animal Rebellion protesters spilled milk onto the floor of a Waitrose in Edinburgh
Animal Rebellion said it calls for a plant-based future and highlights the need to support farmers in the transition to a sustainable plant-based food system.
Lou Hadden, a charity worker from Herefordshire who joined the action at Fortnum and Mason, said: “This is not how I imagined my weekend to go. Unfortunately this disruption is necessary because those in power listen to academics from Oxford, Harvard and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
“The world’s top climate and soil scientists are calling for the transition to a plant-based food system. We need bold and decisive policy now, not the horror show we see today.”
Skylar Sharples, an international development graduate from Bristol and one of the protesters at Harrods, said: “Animal rebellion supporters are back in action because of Liz Truss and Ranil Jayawardena. [Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] they again decide to ignore the calls to start building a better future.
“A plant-based future would see a beautiful world for us all, thriving with nature and life. Steps to properly support farmers in this transition must begin now.”
Additional PA reports.
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