Shoppers hit out as vegan protesters storm St Lukes Supermarket. Video / Delta Wolfepine
Customers have lashed out at vegan protesters who stormed St Lukes Countdown on Sunday, disrupting shoppers in the process.
During a tense standoff, vegan activists stood in front of the meat section and held signs which said "stop eating animals" and "it's not food, it's violence".
In a video ofthe incident, Countdown staff can be seen approaching the activists asking if they had permission to be here.
But event organiser Amanda Rippon retaliated by shouting at staff saying they were peacefully protesting for "victims".
The video shows shoppers being interfered with from buying meat, with customers losing their patience and lashing out at the protesters.
Customers have lashed out at vegan protesters who stormed St Lukes Countdown on Sunday, disrupting shoppers in the process. Photo / Delta Wolfepine
One woman can be heard shouting: "Take your camera off me, I'm doing my f**king shopping. I'm doing my shopping, unless you're going to pay for my shopping you can f**k off."
Protesters were then videoed chanting "it's not food, it's violence" as they were escorted from the premises by security.
In a statement to the Herald, a Countdown spokesperson revealed the protesters refused to leave, resulting in police intervention.
"As a supermarket we work hard to provide our vegan and vegetarian customers with good quality and affordable options in our stores, and we are also deeply committed to good animal welfare practices throughout our supply chain.
"We reserve the right to ask anyone undertaking protest action to leave our stores, however on this occasion this request was ignored several times.
"The police were called to support our team and the protestors left shortly afterwards."
A police spokesperson told the Herald they were notified about this incident at about 12.20pm on Sunday, however "it's understood the group left the premise and therefore Police were not required to attend".
The protesters were then seen marching through Westfield mall after they were forced from Countdown.
In an interview following the protest, Rippon claimed those who protested are the voice of the victims who have no say.
"The impact of a non-vegan diet is the victims who we don't usually hear from, we're here today to give them a voice."
Protesters were removed from Countdown by security. Photo / Delta Wolfepine
Another protest organiser, Deno Stock, said those that sell meat for food are more extreme than those who protest for the animals.
"I think that the way those animal parts have been put in the supermarket is far more extreme than what we're doing, we're not doing any damage to anything, we're just standing with a sign."
