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‘Pro-meat’ protesters fined for eating raw squirrel outside vegan stall

A pro-meat protesters ate raw squirrel at a vegan market in London. YouTube

Onlookers at a London, UK vegan food market in March likely didn’t expect to come across protesters eating raw squirrels.

Marketgoers were subject to quite a performance when pro-meat advocates Gatis Lagzdins, 29, and Deonisy Khlebnikov, 22, tore into furry, dead animals (warning: linked video contains graphic content) outside a vegan stall on March 30.

According to London’s Crown Prosecution Service, the act continued despite a parent of an upset child pleading with them to stop.

Others paused to take photos and video footage of the protest. One of the protesters in the video wore a shirt reading “veganism = malnutrition.”

READ MORE: Is access to vegan food a human rights issue? Experts weigh in

On Monday, the protesting duo were found guilty of a public order offence at City of London magistrates court.

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“Deonisy Khlebnikov and Gatin Lagzdins claimed they were against veganism and were raising awareness about the dangers of not eating meat when they publicly consumed raw squirrels,” Natalie Clines, a senior CPS prosecutor, said.

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She continued: “But by choosing to do this outside a vegan food stall and continuing with their disgusting and unnecessary behaviour despite requests to stop, including from a parent whose child was upset by their actions, the prosecution was able to demonstrate that they had planned and intended to cause distress to the public.”

READ MORE: ‘It’s not dairy that is the problem:’ N.B. farmer supports review of Canada Food Guide

The two denied claims that their act could cause distress, but regardless were both convicted of the crime and were fined.

Khlebnikov received a $327 fine, while Lagzdins, who wasn’t present at the hearing, was fined $655. Both were subject to surcharges as well.

This isn’t the first time Lagzdins has engaged in public protest — just a few days before the squirrel-eating incident in London, in Brighton, U.K., he was recorded eating a raw pig’s head, also at a vegan gathering.

meaghan.wray@globalnews.ca

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