Asda Shopper Smashes Vegan Protester’s Megaphone in Easter Lamb Protest Clash
On April 19, 2025, a routine shopping trip at an Asda supermarket in Canterbury, Kent, turned chaotic when a furious shopper violently smashed a vegan protester’s megaphone during a demonstration against eating Easter lamb. The protester, Ella Wild, was part of a small group raising awareness about animal cruelty, using graphic footage and amplified speeches to confront shoppers. The shocking incident, captured on video and shared widely on social media, has sparked heated debates about protest tactics, public behavior, and the ethics of meat consumption. This article delves into the confrontation, its context within the broader landscape of vegan activism, and the polarized reactions it elicited, drawing on recent reports and public sentiment to explore why this moment has ignited such controversy.
The Incident: A Violent Disruption
The demonstration took place in the meat aisle of Asda’s Sturry Road branch, timed to coincide with the Easter weekend, a period when lamb consumption traditionally peaks in the UK. Ella Wild, a vegan activist, led a group of campaigners who stood by a fridge stocked with meat, holding screens displaying footage of animal slaughter and urging shoppers to reconsider using animal products like dairy and eggs. Wild was mid-sentence, speaking through a megaphone about the paradox of celebrating animals at Easter while eating them, when an unidentified man approached. Without warning, he grabbed the megaphone, yanking it forcefully from Wild’s hands, knocking her aside, and smashing it to pieces on the floor before storming off.
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Protester Ella Wild (centre) was taking part in the demonstration inside the supermarket branch in Canterbury, Kent, when ‘an angry man’ grabbed her hailer (pictured), hurled it to the floor and stomped off
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He uses force to yank it out her hands as she resists, knocking her to the side before throwing the megaphone to the floor (pictured), where it smashes into pieces
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While some in the comments section said the group were in the wrong for being in the store, others described the man as a ‘stereotypical meat headed, meat-eating man-atrocity’
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The footage, uploaded to Wild’s Facebook page and reported by outlets like the Daily Mail and The Mirror, captures the intensity of the moment. Shoppers and Asda staff appear stunned, with one protester calling the man “a violent person” as the camera follows him. Wild, visibly shaken, picks up the broken megaphone pieces while her group insists on their right to protest. Store security and staff intervened, engaging in discussions with the activists, who resumed their demonstration despite the disruption. Kent Police were called at 1:46 PM, and officers spoke to those present before the group dispersed. A police spokesperson confirmed ongoing inquiries to establish the full circumstances, but no arrests have been reported as of April 21, 2025.
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In the clip, the man storms off after his moment of fury (pictured) to the shock and bewilderment of shoppers – and even some Asda workers themselves – nearby
Context: Vegan Activism and Public Pushback
The Asda incident is part of a broader wave of confrontational vegan activism in the UK, where groups like Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) and Animal Rebellion have staged disruptive protests in supermarkets, restaurants, and public spaces. In 2019, a vegan mother protested in a Canterbury Sainsbury’s, decrying meat as “violence,” while in 2022, Animal Rebellion activists poured milk on supermarket floors to protest dairy production. These actions often involve megaphones, graphic imagery, and direct challenges to consumers, aiming to shock and educate but frequently provoking backlash.
Ella Wild’s protest aligns with this approach, targeting Easter to highlight the slaughter of lambs—an estimated 15 million annually in the UK, according to some activists. Her group’s use of slaughterhouse footage and amplified speeches reflects a strategy to make shoppers confront the realities of animal agriculture, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. As The New Republic noted, animal agriculture’s unsustainability is a valid concern, with over 1,000 concentrated animal feeding operations in the UK producing vast waste and pollution. Yet, the in-store setting and megaphone use have drawn criticism for disrupting private spaces and alienating potential allies.
The shopper’s violent reaction, while extreme, mirrors past clashes. In 2019, a blind vegan activist fell during a Sheffield protest after a confrontation, and a Perth steakhouse saw diners heckled by megaphone-wielding activists. These incidents highlight a growing tension: activists’ right to free speech versus shoppers’ expectation of a peaceful shopping experience. The Asda shopper’s actions, described as “criminal damage” by some online, raise questions about proportionality and gender dynamics, as critics noted the man targeted a female protester.
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She was with a group (pictured) gathered to warn shoppers of the cruel way animals are killed for meat at Easter – and to protest the use of animal products like dairy and eggs
Public and Media Reactions
The video’s spread on social media, particularly X, amplified the incident’s reach. Posts on April 21, 2025, from users like @OhBrokenBritain and @TheGriftReport celebrated the shopper’s actions, framing them as resistance to “leftist” overreach or disruptive activism. One user wrote, “Perhaps she’ll think twice in future about trying to bully other people with her opinions by shouting at them in a confined space with a megaphone.” Conversely, others condemned the violence, with comments like, “Big brave bloke goes for girl with megaphone. The standard of what passes for a man these days is just effing pathetic.”
Media coverage varied in tone. The Daily Mail and The Irish Sun described the shopper as “angry” and “fuming,” emphasizing the “shocking” nature of the confrontation, while The Mirror highlighted the chaos and Wild’s momentary drag along the aisle. Comment sections revealed a split: some called the protesters’ tactics “ridiculous” and intrusive, arguing they should have been removed, while others labeled the shopper a “stereotypical meat-headed, meat-eating man-atrocity,” accusing him of weakness for attacking a woman.
Wild defended her group’s actions, stating, “It’s a protest against animal cruelty. You pay for it, so you should be fine with seeing it… The animals have to live it.” This echoes sentiments from other activists, like Tash Peterson, who argued that consumers must face the consequences of their choices. However, even some vegetarians distanced themselves, with one commenting, “I’m vegetarian and I am proud to be, that wouldn’t cause me to try and turn others away from their decision.”
Broader Implications: Protest Tactics and Public Discourse
The Asda incident underscores the contentious nature of vegan activism’s direct-action approach. Proponents argue that disruptive protests are necessary to highlight systemic issues, given animal agriculture’s environmental toll—responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the FAO—and ethical concerns. Yet, critics, including some vegans, contend that such tactics alienate the public, as seen in the backlash to Animal Rebellion’s 2022 milk-pouring stunts, which even vegan supporters called “embarrassing.”
The shopper’s violence, while condemned, reflects a broader frustration with perceived moral grandstanding. Posts on X suggest a public weary of being “ordered around,” with one user framing the incident as emblematic of resistance to activist overreach. This sentiment aligns with past reactions, like Australian meat-eaters posting steak photos in response to vegan protests. However, the physicality of the Asda confrontation—knocking Wild aside and destroying property—raises legal and ethical questions. Kent Police’s ongoing inquiries may lead to charges like criminal damage, though the lack of arrests suggests complexities in proving intent or identifying the perpetrator.
Gender dynamics also emerged as a flashpoint. Critics highlighted the optics of a man using force against a female protester, with comments like, “Attacking a girl is just the weakest of acts.” This echoes broader discussions about gendered violence in public spaces, though some argued Wild’s megaphone use provoked a reaction regardless of gender. The incident thus intersects with debates about civility, free speech, and the limits of protest in private venues.
Asda and the Retail Response
Asda’s response has been muted, with The Mirror noting that the supermarket was contacted for comment but had not issued a statement by April 21, 2025. The involvement of store staff and security suggests an attempt to de-escalate, but the failure to remove the protesters earlier fueled criticism. One commenter noted, “The staff should have kicked the protesters out because a megaphone in a store about what people eat is just ridiculous.” Retailers face a delicate balance: allowing free expression while maintaining a welcoming environment. Past incidents, like Sainsbury’s 2019 protest, saw police intervention within 20 minutes, suggesting Asda’s slower response may have escalated tensions.
Conclusion: A Clash of Values
The Asda megaphone incident is a microcosm of deeper societal divides over food, ethics, and public behavior. Ella Wild’s protest aimed to confront shoppers with the realities of animal agriculture, a cause grounded in environmental and moral urgency. Yet, the shopper’s violent reaction reflects a countervailing frustration with disruptive activism, perceived as intrusive and judgmental. Both sides—activists and the public—claim a right to their actions, but the clash has done little to bridge understanding, instead fueling polarized rhetoric online and in the media.
As Kent Police investigate and Asda reviews its protocols, the incident raises questions about how to balance free speech with public order, and whether confrontational tactics can ever sway hearts and minds. For now, the shattered megaphone serves as a stark symbol of a society grappling with competing values, where passion and fury collide in the unlikeliest of places—a supermarket aisle on the eve of Easter.
