ASBURY PARK, N.J. — Animal rights organization PETA staged a dramatic protest Friday outside Cousins Maine Lobster in Asbury Park, using a screaming, body-painted demonstrator dressed as a lobster to draw attention to the treatment of crustaceans before they are served as food.
The protest featured a nearly nude woman painted bright red and portraying a lobster as a person dressed as a chef dragged her toward a giant steaming lobster pot beneath a banner reading, “No One Wants to Be Boiled Alive.”
The demonstration was organized to protest the common practice of boiling lobsters and crabs alive before serving them in restaurants.
PETA says lobsters experience pain and fear
PETA said the demonstration was intended to encourage people to choose plant-based meals instead of seafood.
At the protest the woman, who sounded like Nancy Pelosi, screamed, “It hurts, don’t let them do this to me,” as she was lowered into a pot.
“Lobsters feel pain and terror just as humans do,” PETA said in a statement announcing the protest. The organization added that lobsters “use complex signals to establish social relationships” and “can recognize other individual lobsters and can live to be over 100.”
PETA also cited research suggesting lobsters experience significant suffering when boiled alive, noting that one researcher described the practice as “torture.”
- PETA staged a theatrical protest Friday outside Cousins Maine Lobster in Asbury Park.
- A body-painted demonstrator portraying a lobster was dragged toward a giant steaming pot as part of the protest.
- The organization is urging consumers to stop eating lobster and crab and instead choose vegan alternatives.
“No compassionate person would boil an animal alive,” PETA President Tracy Reiman said. “PETA urges everyone to consider who is on their plates and please, choose vegan.”
Restaurant says protest came as a surprise
An employee at Cousins Maine Lobster told Patch before the demonstration that the restaurant had “no idea” the protest was planned.
The employee also said the restaurant respected the right of people to peacefully demonstrate.
Friday’s event follows similar theatrical protests PETA has staged in other coastal communities, including Maine, where the organization has used oversized lobster props and actors to protest seafood restaurants and the lobster industry.
Despite the attention generated by the demonstration, boiling live lobsters remains a common practice at seafood restaurants throughout New Jersey and much of the United States.
As for the restaurant, they didn’t seem to care, and in a Patch report, they said they support everyone’s right to protest and free speech.
FAQ
- Where did the protest take place?
Outside Cousins Maine Lobster on Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park. - What was the purpose of the demonstration?
PETA was protesting the practice of boiling lobsters and crabs alive before they are served as food. - What did PETA say?
“No compassionate person would boil an animal alive,” PETA President Tracy Reiman said while urging consumers to choose vegan meals. - Did the restaurant know the protest was coming?
An employee told Patch beforehand that the restaurant had “no idea” the protest was planned but respected people’s right to protest peacefully. - Has PETA conducted similar demonstrations before?
Yes. The organization has staged similar protests in Maine and other seafood communities.
Sources: PETA news release; Patch reporting; statements from PETA President Tracy Reiman and Cousins Maine Lobster employee.
