Vegan protesters have stormed a Melbourne steak restaurant yelling at customers and chanting anti-meat slogans.
The group of 35 activists from Direct Action Everywhere Melbourne and Melbourne Cow Save Animal Liberation Army entered the Rare Steakhouse on King St in the city's CBD at around 6.30pm on Saturday.
The group says they were there "to speak up for animals where their dead bodies were being consumed".
In a video posted to Facebook the group could be seen protesting on both levels of the restaurant around customers.
"In order to create change in our society, we must challenge current belief systems and force people to take a side; oppression or justice, cruelty or compassion," Melbourne Cow Save wrote on Facebook.
Rare Steakhouse venue manager Arryanne McIntosh told News Corp the group had loud speakers and "were repeating propaganda and stuff relating to consumption of meat".
"It was hard to communicate with them," Ms McIntosh said.
"I asked who was in charge and one lady said, 'We all are.' We were trying to talk to them but they were quite in your face with talking and speaking over the top of you, they were loud, yelling."
Restaurant staff called police, who took 15 minutes to arrive, Ms McIntosh said.
Ms McIntosh said her staff handled the situation well, but "a couple of them were really upset" that the protesters were pushing video cameras in their faces even though they asked not to be filmed.
Commenters on Facebook had mixed reactions to the protest.
Katrina Larsen wrote, "Great work! If people want to eat the corpse and secretions of animals then they can face the hard truth of how it ended up on their plates".
Amber Marie said she was vegan and "this is not cool".
"Best way for non-vegans to think ill of vegans," she said.
Newshub.
