Environmental activists removed from Heston Blumenthal restaurant
Animal Rebellion said it targeted the restaurant because it is ‘symbolic of the broken system’.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Environmental activists have been removed from Heston Blumenthal’s Knightsbridge restaurant.
Animal Rebellion protester Ben Thomas, 20, said diners at the upmarket Dinner, near Hyde Park, “rolled their eyes” and “threatened us” as a group of eight sat down at tables on Saturday night.
Some demonstrators from the group, which is an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, were physically removed from the building while others were carried out by staff to heckles of “grow up” by one passer-by.
Student Mr Thomas described their removal from the two Michelin star establishment as “very rough and really heavy-handed”.
Some were rolling their eyes
“We all went into the restaurant to occupy it,” he told the PA news agency.
“We were removed very quickly, the staff were incredibly rough with us.
“I was taken down the stairs by one person who literally dragged me down the stairs, scraping across the floor.
“They were tougher than how the police would deal with us.
“There was a member of the public who threatened us.
“Some were rolling their eyes.”
The group said it targeted the restaurant because it is “symbolic of the broken system”.
“These restaurants charge extortionate prices for animal products which are really harmful to the environment and the climate and just cater for the 1%,” said Mr Thomas.
The Animal Rebellion group earlier targeted the Michelin-starred House of Tides in Newcastle as part of a string of actions it said would continue over the winter.
Previous stunts have targeted Salt Bae’s Knightsbridge steakhouse Nusr-Et and Gordon Ramsay’s three-star Michelin restaurant in Chelsea.