Animal rights activist Tash Peterson stages protest with dead lamb at Coles

A vegan activist who has gained notoriety for her controversial protests has caused a stir with her latest act involving a dead lamb inside a supermarket.

A controversial vegan activist has caused a stir after staging a protest with a dead lamb inside a busy supermarket.

Animal rights activist Tash Peterson, who has gained notoriety for storming restaurants and pubs and slamming patrons, has sparked further outrage over a recent stunt inside a Coles supermarket in Melbourne this week.

The 27-year-old’s latest act follows her move to the east coast after she was banned from every licensed venue in Western Australia.

A video of the stunt uploaded to social media shows Peterson dressed as a blood-soaked abattoir worker alongside other protesters in the deli and meat aisles.

RELATED: Vegan activist Tash Peterson banned from every licensed venue in WA

The group is shown standing next to a trolley with a dead baby lamb which had reportedly died after freezing to death, while another activist speaks through a megaphone.

“Five million lambs freeze to death every year in Australia as a result of the meat industry. This poor baby was one of them. Stop contributing to animal abuse. Go vegan,” activist Bronte Elizabeth wrote in the video’s caption.

“All we’re asking you to do is live by those morals. You can say whatever you want. You can say you are against animal cruelty, but actions speak louder than words,” a protester declares over a megaphone.

“All of these animals that you see in Coles were murdered against their will. No animal willingly walks to their death. They are dragged against the kill floor in the slaughterhouse.

“This beautiful little sweet baby was found FROZEN TO DEATH here in Victoria. Every single year 15 MILLION lambs freeze to death in Australia,” Peterson wrote on social media.

“If you’re not vegan, YOU are responsible for her death.”

“YOU pay for babies to be sent to murder factories where they suffocate to death in CO2 gas chambers (pigs), electrocuted in water (chickens) and bolt gunned in the head (baby males in the dairy industry, cows and sheep).

“Stop murdering babies, be vegan.”

According to Animals Australia, as many as one in four lambs in the meat and wool industry die each year due to exposure to the elements. Industry standards currently do not require the provision of full shelter for lambs and their mums.

RELATED: Wild scenes as protester storms seafood restaurant

She told Yahoo News Australia that activists had found the baby lamb frozen to death on a property outside of Melbourne before it was used in the protest.

The video, which has been viewed almost 5000 times, also shows the group being escorted out of the store by police. The stunt has divided viewers on social media.

“Brilliant! We need that here in the UK supermarkets. We must do this in the UK. Thank you,” a supporter wrote.

However, meat lovers were quick to start trolling.

“I love meat,” one user wrote.

“Meat’s the best,” another said.

Peterson gained prominence in 2019 for accosting shoppers at Coles dressed in a blood-drenched meat worker outfit while holding a fake dead chicken under her arm.

RELATED: Vegan activist Tash Peterson storms Bunnings fundraiser run by firefighters

Vegan activist Tash Peterson during a controversial protest inside a KFC. Picture: Instagram

A stunt in March, which saw her storm a seafood restaurant in Fremantle to tell diners they were taking part in the “fish holocaust”, led to her being banned from all licensed venues.

This barred this activist from entering anywhere that sold alcohol, including bottle shops, nightclubs and bottle shops.

Peterson said the ban had only encouraged her to continue her protests further afield.

“Guess what WA, I’m getting the f**k out of here anyway, so I can continue to do my protesting in other states in places that sell alcohol because this ban only applies in Western Australia,” she said.