Animal Rights Activists Stunned After Chef Severs, Eats Deer Leg In Restaurant Window

A Canadian chef caused an uproar Friday after activists claimed they witnessed him butchering a large animal leg in his restaurant window before appearing to eat it.

Protest organizer Marni Ugar was among a group of vegan activists who reportedly gathered outside of Antler Kitchen and Bar around 8 p.m. in Toronto, chanting slogans like "antler has blood on their hands" and holding signs that read "murder," Global News reported.

Ugar told the publication that restaurant owner and chef Michael Hunter was seen carving a deer leg in plain sight.

"Antler aims to celebrate the wild culinary delights of Canada," its website read. The shop serves Canadian dishes such as bison, boar, rabbit, duck and deer.

"I suppose it was his way of taunting us or getting revenge," Ugar said. "I can (can’t) know because I haven’t had a conversation with him yet." She added that this was her fifth time protesting the establishment.

Last year, the shop reportedly caused a stir after a staffer displayed a chalkboard sign in front of the restaurant with a message that read: "Venison is the New Kale." The rally was part of a planned initiative to hold weekly protests in response to the memo, according to Ugar.

"It shocked me," she told the National Post, a Toronto-based newspaper. "It made me feel really sad. For me, it’s just an animal and it’s an animal that didn’t want to die."

Ugar said Hunter returned to the window about a half an hour later, eating what appeared to be grilled meat. Police reportedly arrived on the scene during the incident, according to Global News.

"We were obviously getting to him because we’re impacting his business by standing on the sidewalk. I assume — I actually can’t know — this was his way of getting revenge on us," Ugar said.

The chef told Global News that the string of protests was bad for business and decided he'd had enough and "went and got a deer leg." He added that demonstrations like this were common in his line of work.

"These protests are not unusual for the restaurant industry and therefore we are not surprised by the actions of the protestors," Hunter said.

"We are operating business as usual. Our identity as a restaurant is well known throughout the city as is our ethical farming and foraging initiatives. We stand by our restaurant's identity and the identity of myself as a chef."