Who is Tash Peterson, the controversial vegan activist who just lost a $200,000 defamation case?
Vegans have had a pretty rough go of it lately. From targeted Netflix documentaries to poorly organised food festivals, the community’s been hit with some pretty negative publicity as of late. And a recent defamation case involving one of Australia’s most prolific activists likely isn’t going to help the situation…
Tash Peterson, vegan activist and protester, has just been ordered to pay almost $200,000 (AUD 300,000) in damages to veterinarian Dr. Kay McIntosh, owner of Bicton Veterinary Clinic, as reported by the New York Post.
Back in September 2021, Peterson entered the clinic and confronted McIntosh over what she deemed the “enslaving” of two pet birds that lived inside the business. The entire interaction was filmed by Peterson’s partner Jack Higgs and later posted on the activist’s Facebook page.
Despite the vet assuring the couple that the two birds were beloved long-term residents of the business and well catered for, Peterson was visibly unimpressed and angry about the situation. The pair then returned to the office the next day. The activist filmed an introduction outside the clinic, describing the presence of the pets as “immoral” and akin to “slavery,” before entering and confronting staff.
At one point, the activist asked McIntosh if she “eats her own patients” and accused her of “enslaving animals.” Once again, the entire altercation was filmed and posted to Peterson’s Facebook page, attracting thousands of views and comments. I was unable to find the original videos and so can assume they were ordered to be removed from social media. However, given the nature of Peterson’s other ‘public takedowns’, we can assume the videos filmed inside the veterinary clinic followed a similar format:
In his judgment, Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan found Peterson and her partner Jack Higgs published defamatory claims. Indeed, McIntosh shared with the court that the ordeal had been highly distressing.
Who is Tash Peterson?
Tash Peterson is a well-known Australian vegan activist and demonstrator, notorious for her extreme public stunts. Peterson is all about imagery, using strong language and violent graphic props in order to get her point across. You’ve got to give the girl some credit, she’s definitely committed to the cause.
This also isn’t Peterson’s first run in with the law. In August 2024, it was announced that the 31-year-old had been barred from leaving Western Australia following two separate incidents at a Perth restaurant in 2023. According to Sky News Australia, the activist stormed the Fyre restaurant after discovering that the business had banned vegan customers.
Following this stunt, Peterson was charged with trespassing, disorderly behaviour in public and remaining in the vicinity of a licensed premises.
Peterson is one such vegan activist who has repeatedly used the phrase “animal holocaust” in her demonstrations. The term has been labelled by many as highly controversial and insensitive, particularly from the Jewish community who understandably are offended by the concept of comparing eating meat to the mass torture and murder of millions of people.
One thing is for sure, Peterson isn’t showing any signs of slowing down her campaign. And it’s likely that this won’t be her last legal battle.
