Vegan Activist Tash Peterson Criticized After Pulling Pants Down at Melbourne Protest
Vegan activist Tash Peterson faced a wave of online criticism after a video showed her pulling down her pants in front of children outside a Hawthorn butcher. Commenters called the stunt disgraceful, while Peterson defended it as a response to what she called hypocrisy.
Vegan activist Tash Peterson was slammed on social media after she pulled her pants down in front of children during an animal rights protest in Melbourne. Critics accused her of flashing kids, and the video of the moment drew angry comments.
Peterson is known for disruptive public stunts. She was filmed protesting outside Glenferrie Gourmet Meats in Hawthorn, in front of community members including children.
What the video shows
Peterson wore a pink tracksuit with her underwear showing. A woman passing by told her that her "clothing is inappropriate".
"Yeah? Do you wanna have a look at a bit more?" Peterson replied. She then pulled down her pants to expose her behind and asked: "Is this alright for you?"
The footage, shared on Peterson's own social media channels, captured shocked onlookers. Voices in the clip called out "Oh my God" and "What the hell". A young person was also heard saying: "We're just children."
Peterson answered: "Dude, it's just a body; you're literally eating the body parts of babies, and you're more upset with what I'm wearing."
Sheep farmer confrontation
A sheep farmer who stopped to talk with Peterson about her cause called the move "inappropriate". Peterson hit back. "What's inappropriate is abusing and exploiting animals for their wool," she said. She added that the sheep on the farmer's "slave farm" did not want to be used for their bodies.
Online backlash
After the clip circulated, people described her actions as "disgraceful" and "diabolical". Comments under the video on Facebook were blunt.
"Stop flashing kids," one person wrote. Another said: "Oh my god, she's taking this to a whole new level."
A third wrote: "Flaunting your a.. in front of young girls and boys, you're a disgrace." Others wrote: "Yeah nah in front of kids is diabolical" and "Ew she just did that in front of children".
Earlier protest at Ascot
The Hawthorn incident follows another protest earlier this month. Peterson caused chaos outside Ascot Racecourse, shaming punters who were celebrating Melbourne Cup Day.
She wore rodeo-style clothing and held a sign with a horse's face on it. The sign read "Horse racing is animal slavery".
