Nando's protest: Animal rights activists storm Brighton restaurant wearing chicken masks

Animal rights activists wearing chicken masks held a demonstration in Nando’s in Brighton, where they protested the inhumane treatment of chickens and promoted a vegan lifestyle.

On Wednesday, the protesters, who refer to themselves as Occupy Nando’s, entered the restaurant and played footage taken by activist groups Surge Activism and Animal Equality UK from chicken farms that supply meat to Nando’s as well as Aldi and Asda.

According to Occupy Nando’s, the videos show disturbing treatment of chickens at the hands of workers, as well as birds “so heavy they collapse under the weight of their own bodies”.

The group of 10 protestors remained in the Nando’s for 20 minutes, according to iNews, with one activist announcing to the popular chicken restaurant: “A chicken is an individual. A living, thinking, feeling being.

“A chicken can feel distress, and recognise stress in others. A chicken can feel empathy for others too. Shouldn’t we, as human beings, show empathy for these suffering individuals?”

According to a spokesperson for Occupy Nando’s, who spoke to The Independent: “The protests are just one part of collective actions in many different ways to achieve a vegan world, where animals and humans are not exploited for our food choices, entertainment or what we wear.

“In this action specifically we disrupt to show up in places that sell violence. We urge Nando’s to turn their entire menu vegan: we are not asking for better conditions for the animals they have been documented abusing, we want total animal liberation.”

On the group’s Facebook page, the activists call upon others to “occupy Nando’s restaurants in protest” and bring awareness to customers.

The group also outlines specific plans for protesters, including speeches and tips for dealing with police if they are called.

To spread awareness to the cause, the group has asked that those who stage protests share them on social media under the hashtag #OccupyNandos.

In a statement, a spokesperson from Nando’s confirmed there was a “small organised disturbance” on Wednesday and that police were called.

“We can confirm that there was a small organised disturbance in one of our Brighton restaurants on Wednesday night and we are sorry for those customers who had their meals interrupted,” the company said. “We worked with the local police to minimise any disruption in a peaceful way and allow our customers to enjoy their meal and have a great night.”