News & Events Vegan protests shut down Melbourne's CBD - Have protests gone too far?

[Restricted Free Agent]

So, at 5:30 this morning a number of Vegan protesters ran onto the Flinders Swanston intersection, keeping it shut by chaining themselves to vans for 4 hours.

This ended up throwing people's days (including mine) into Chaos. As trams and replacement busses were cancelled to facilitate the protesters. Whilst I myself agree with veganism as an idea and am a vegetarian, this is completely ridiculous. Disrupting peoples lives, forcing them to watch videos of animals being slaughtered. It isn't going to do anything except piss people off. This protest comes after a spate of other smaller protests involving vegans walking around the CBD showing people videos of animals being killed.

This sort of thing is disgusting. People should be allowed to make choices about their lives without being exposed to those horrifying videos. (There were also less disruptive marches in other Australian cities.) This latest protest has managed to piss off everyone I've talked to who was caught up in it and has had the opposite effect the organisers hoped for. The protest was partially to promote a documentary about veganism. At 9 the protesters were forcibly moved on by police, as they were arrested, their cans were towed and they were cut from the chains. Whilst this protest was peaceful (kind of) there have been a number recently where shops have been destroyed, people eating out have had their food taken from them by vegan "activists"


It'll be interesting to see the fallout from this protest as it emerges over the next few days.


What are your opinions on protests such as these? Have they gone too far? Have we lost the ability to not be exposed to this kind of stuff (videos like the ones the protesters were showing this morning) in our day to day lives? Where does this cross the line from activism to extremism? Has it already?


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[edgie]

Fix your alignment

 

[Bluelegs]

Literally the point of protests is to cause disruption.

 

[Spirit Level]

These are the types of people that shouldn't be allowed to breed

 

[burge13]

Why do these protesters not have jobs to go to? Who has 4 hours free on a Monday to chain themselves to a van? A loser is the answer

 

[JackOutback]

I think we, as a society, should be protesting more. But it's a calculated gamble; the more you disrupt the general public and the further you seem to be from your point with the protest, the more likely you are just to annoy people and drive them away.

 

[Sainteric]

I think people should be able to protest and as much as I don't like union's they get a permit when they march and disruption is kept to a minimum. But where we get it wrong is this protest and the people protesting against right wing nut jobs like Milo. Milo isn't responsible for police costs and disruption the protesters are. Give them a week in prison and a $1000 fine, if there is no personal responsibility, and no consequences this will keep happening.

 

[burge13]

I think we, as a society, should be protesting more. But it's a calculated gamble; the more you disrupt the general public and the further you seem to be your point with the protest, the more likely you are just to annoy people and drive them away.

Exactly. I'm a meat eater but I can definitely see the point to veganism even if I don't abide by it. However if these idiots prevented me from getting to work on time, there would be trouble. They have achieved absolutely nothing but piss people off, almost all of whom will go home and eat meat regardless of their protest. Just a pathetic bunch of losers who 'protest' like this

 

[Bostonian]

Regular people need to start knocking them out if they get in their way. That's why they do it because they know nothing will happen to them. As soon as the general population start striking back they'd disappear quickly.

If any came into a restaurant I was eating in and started their s**t id be physically throwing them out.

 

[DroopStDanny]

Are these the same type of protestors that throw ball bearings under the hoofs of police horses?

 

[Sainteric]

Are these the same type of protestors that throw ball bearings under the hoofs of police horses?

One would think so, they rented all the vans off thrifty, slashed the tires etc. Good luck thrifty getting damages

 

[00Stinger]

 

[Spirit Level]

How long before a group of these idiots decides to bomb a steakhouse, or hold people hostage ect.

 

[JackOutback]

How long before a group of these idiots decides to bomb a steakhouse, or hold people hostage ect.

Christ, you want to draw that bow any longer?

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Not a good protest if nobody notices. Everybody noticed this one.

 

[Hank Scorpion]

Don't mind them shutting down an intersection, IF they've got the numbers to justify it (as the Climate Strike did.)

As for disrupting bystanders, * off with that. Protest in a way that isn't going to piss off people unaligned with you.

 

[craigos]

Usually when there's a protest you get some of the general public thinking about the issue more (Aboriginal welfare, climate change, same sex marriage etc) but I can not see anyone going home tonight and throwing away their entire fridge full of meat.

Aussies love meat, you're never going to change that so find another cause.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Vegans are such ****ing weirdos.

It isn't good enough for them to just make the personal decision to not eat products made from animals. No, they have to tell the whole world about it and attempt to force their views onto everyone else.

 

[FRUMPY]

Its like religious people telling me off for eating meat on good Friday, just makes me want to eat meat more

 

[tandino]

Had a beautiful roast beef roll this afternoon.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

everyone in the photos looks so malnourished........

 

[Smoooothy]

I hope all of their clothing was responsibly sourced not containing any animal matter in them at all

 

[Bomberboyokay]

I hope all of their clothing was responsibly sourced not containing any animal matter in them at all

You hope they adhere to something you don't do?

 

[Smoooothy]

You hope they adhere to something you don't do?

no, I just find it laughable they protest the meat industry when they're all wearing leather shoes etc

 

[Bomberboyokay]

I don't expect someone complaining about global warming to live in a tent or an Aboriginal person to throw out their glasses and medicine before they comment on racism and discrimination.