Dozens of vegans and animal rights activists gathered outside a Toronto restaurant for another protest, a week after the owner cut up a deer leg and ate some of it in front of them.
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On Saturday, protesters once again returned to the restaurant, this time in the pouring rain, to make sure their concerns were heard.
Chants included: “It’s not food, it’s violence,” and “there’s no excuse for animal abuse,” among others.
This was the fifth protest the group has held outside the restaurant since December, according to Facebook.
On March 23, activists with the Toronto Animal Rights March met outside Antler restaurant in Toronto to raise concerns of the establishment’s menu that includes fois gras, the fattened liver of a goose or duck and game meat, like boar, venison and bison.
In response to the demonstration, Antler’s owner Michael Hunter, brought a deer leg to the front window and began to cut it up in front of the activists and then ate some of it.
On Saturday, many protesters expressed outrage over the actions of the restaurant.
"(The owner) is raising and farming and exploiting and murdering innocent animals that have the right to live," said Cathy Stableford.
But not everyone passing through the area supported the activists’ cause, however.
"You're losing the support of regular people who might support you against industrial farming of meat but this is a small, locally-owned business that is actually trying to do the right thing," said Gisele Gordon, a resident of the area.
The activists had asked for a police presence at the demonstration because of the backlash they’ve received online.
Hunter, who declined an interview with CTV Toronto in the past, said reservations have increased since the incident.
“We have a full house, which is not unlike other Saturdays here,” he said in a statement. “It’s business as usual for Antler.”
The restaurant maintains its menu items are the result of ethical farming and foraging, but activists have a hard time understanding how an animal being used for food can be ethical.
"He calls himself ethical, but how can you be an ethical restaurant and serve any animal including foie gras?" said Manri Ugar, another one of the protesters.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s Miranda Anthistle
