Animal rights activists hold stirring protest in Toronto grocery store (VIDEO)

Grocery shoppers were in for a shock when dozens of vegan activists flooded the aisles of a Stockyards District supermarket in Toronto this weekend while protesting a nearby slaughterhouse.

Organized by Direct Action Everywhere, a non-violent protest group that seeks to disrupt places that normalize violence against animals and calls for animal liberation, the multi-part protest first began at Nations Experience on St. Clair West Saturday afternoon.

Throughout the sprawling grocery store, protestors could be seen wearing masks and carrying signs that read “Cows skinned alive,” and “It’s not food, it’s violence,” while protesting Toronto’s controversial Ryding Regency Slaughterhouse.

Ryding Regency Meat Packers has been under fire over the past few years for its alleged inhumane treatment of animals that includes skinning cows alive. Currently, over 180,000 have signed a petition calling for it to be shut down.

Note: This video features graphic content that may be disturbing to viewers

Following the protest at Nations Experience, the animal rights activists headed to Ryding Regency Meat Packers on Glen Scarlett Road, which is located just steps away from the grocery store.

Once at Regency, protestors began setting off smoke bombs and repeatedly chanting “human slaughter is a lie, cows are being skinned alive,” while onlookers and vehicles stopped to watch.

Once the powerful actions concluded, a spokesperson for Direct Action Everywhere Toronto said, “we’re going to continue to take action against slaughterhouses all across the world. ”

See also

• Animal rights activists plan another protest outside Antler today
• Vegans are trying to rename Parkdale as Vegandale
• Toronto Chef trolls vegan activists protesting outside his restaurant