Dominic Smithers
Animal rights activists were physically carried out of one of Salt Bae's restaurants by waitresses over the weekend.
A bunch of members of Animal Rebellion targeted the Nusr-Et steakhouse in London last night (3 December), with eight people heading down there to protest against its practices.
They entered the restaurant at about 6pm, and sat down at tables that had already been reserved.
According to the group, they are campaigning for 'a plant-based food system and mass rewilding', and believe steakhouses like Nusr-Et are part of the problem.
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Speaking about the stunt, student Ben Thomas said something needs to be done to stop animal farming.
The 20-year-old said: "Restaurants like these are symbolic of a broken system.
"Whilst two million people are relying on food banks in the UK right now, influencer chefs are selling gold-plated steaks for more than £1,000.
"Steaks, and other red meats, that we know carry the highest environmental impacts."
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However, it doesn't appear that the group's demonstration went down particularly well with anyone at the restaurant last night.
Rather than welcoming the protesters with open arms, staff physically removed each of them, picking them up and plonking them down outside.
In one video, which was posted by the group to Twitter, showed a group of female employees carrying a woman out the front door and placing her onto the pavement.
"We're in this restaurant to show the inequality in lifestyle during this cost-of-living crisis with people out in this fine dining establishment while others can't heat their homes," Ben recalled.
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"We're a group of non-violent protesters also campaigning for a plant-based food system.
"We just sat there, wait staff were quite civil, but the members of the public - two of them got quite aggressive at one point.
"The woman kept giving me really dirty looks just for being there. The customers clapped as we were picked up and taken outside."
Orin Cooley-Greene, 21, added: "It was tougher than police would do it."
The Metropolitan Police said it was contacted about the incident but no officers were called to the scene.
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A spokesperson said: "At 18:08hrs on Saturday, 3 December police were made aware of a protest at a restaurant in Knightsbridge, SW1.
"The group subsequently left the area and police attendance was not required."