Tash Peterson’s long history of vegan activism revealed

Controversial vegan activist Tash Peterson has declared bankruptcy, marking another wild step in her long history of protest.

Controversial vegan activist Tash Peterson has declared bankruptcy and surrendered her passport following a failed defamation case with a vet, marking another wild step in her long history in activism.

Ms Peterson and her boyfriend Jack Higgs lost a defamation case initiated by Bicton Veterinary Clinic owner Kay McIntosh and her husband Andrew over comments Peterson made in a video she shared to social media.

WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan found Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs published defamatory claims and were ordered to pay $280,000 in damages.

Vegan activist Tash Peterson and boyfriend Jack Higgs on their way to the bankruptcy office to hand in their passports after losing a defamation case. Picture: Instagram.

Dr McIntosh won bankruptcy orders against them last month.

According to The West Australian, Ms Peterson and Mr Higgs were bankrupted based on $172,911 found owing to Dr McIntosh.

Peterson said in a video posted to social media they were officially bankrupt and their passports were being taken away.

“On top of that, our personal accounts have been wiped, which means we have no money for everyday living expenses,” the activist said.

Perth vegan activist Tash Peterson disrupting people trying to order fast food. Picture: Instagram

“So our money can be taken from us, and so can our passports, but our voices for non human people will never be taken away from us and will never stop speaking up for the victims of animal exploitation and the animal holocaust.”

Mr Higgs said as a result of a defamation trial they were unsuccessful in, they now owed more than half a million dollars to a vet clinic.

“So we’re going to head into a bankruptcy office and we’re going to officially surrender our passports,” he said.

The defamation case follows a long history in activism for Ms Peterson.

She was prohibited from leaving WA for six months and slapped with fines in August 2024 after protesting at the high-end Fyre restaurant in Perth.

She pleaded guilty to two trespass and disorderly behaviour charges for two separate stand offs at the restaurant.

During the protests, the activist played loud audio of squealing pigs while shouting about an “animal apocalypse” as diners tried to enjoy their food.

Tash Peterson was banned from leaving WA following her stunts at high-end Perth restaurant Fyre. Picture: Instagram

Ms Peterson also had a war of words with Piers Morgan on live television, with the British media personality condemning her use of the word “holocaust” in relation to animal rights.

“Why would you use the word holocaust? Holocaust is the mass extermination of more than six million Jewish people by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis,” he said in 2022.

“Why would you use that very emotive language knowing it would offend people?”

The activist shot back it was a “factual statement” to describe the killing of animals for food as a Holocaust.

Tash Peterson has likened eating meat to the holocaust. Picture: NewsWire / David Swift

“If you look at the definition of a holocaust it is slaughter or destruction on a mass scale.

“Multiple holocausts have occurred throughout human history and non-human animals can be subjected to the same atrocities that humans can.”

In 2023, her Instagram account @vganbooty, disappeared from the social media platform.

Those who tried to visit her Instagram page were met with an error page that flags her account as “may have been removed”.

This came after her series of protests at high-end stores smeared in blood and red liquid to call attention to what she sees as human abuse of animals.

Originally published as Tash Peterson’s long history of vegan activism revealed