People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activist Charlie McKenzie, 24, was arrested on June 20 for throwing a pie in the face of Smithfield Foods Europe president Raoul Baxter.
Baxter had just begin giving a speech at the World Pork Congress when McKenzie jumped onto the stage yelling, “Meat pimp!” and then tossed the pie into Baxter’s face. McKenzie also unfurled a banner before she was escorted off stage and arrested.
Baxter told the crowd that, “It tastes nice, I can’t wait for lunch,” before cleaning himself off and proceeding with his speech.
McKenzie was later released after Baxter declined to make a complaint against her.
PETA’s Dawn Carr told the Daily Star (UK),
It may have taken Mr Baxter only moments to wipe the pie off his face but the mess of animal suffering, environmental destruction and lifethreatening disease that his company causes won’t disappear so easily.
We want people to stop and think about adopting a humane and healthy vegan diet.
Of course the speeches at the World Pork Congress show the sort of effect that PETA is having on curbing meat eating. Baxter’s speech was largely about how Smithfield has been successfully expanding into several international markets. A representative from Brazil later gave a speech detailing how pork production in that country had increased 116 percent from 1994 to 2002. Go veg? Apparently the other white meat still enjoys a wee bit more popularity.
Sources:
It’s tofu at the top. The Daily Record (UK), June 21, 2003.
Protester evades security. Farmers Guardian (UK), June 27, 2003.
Splat! Meat Boss Is Left Pie Eyed. Sunday Mercury (UK), June 22, 2003.
It’s The Business; Veggie Might. Daily Star (UK), June 21, 2003.
god, its a pie! why arrest someone for that? i sounds really funny though!