Butcher filmed swinging meat at vegan protesters

The benefit of being a butcher trying to fend off vegans? You're likely to have the perfect weapon close to hand.

Footage of a volatile butcher swinging pieces of meat at vegan demonstrators outside his shop in Leeds Kirkgate Market is going viral.

The video, posted to Facebook by vegan protestor Ginette Lindstorm, shows a butcher trying to grab the camera from Lindstorm waving meat at a crowd.

Some protestors were reportedly covered in blood.

Lindstorm said the abuse started the moment they arrived:

The abuse started immediately as we had turned the corner and became visible to the butchers.

Instantly we were shouted at to ‘get out’ and ‘f**k off’ etc along with other slurs as we remained silently walking down the shop.

She said that she wanted to capture that the vegan protestors remained peaceful:

I felt it was important to start recording live to capture the moment and so that people could see that we remained peaceful at all times and in case of physical assault or further verbal abuse.

The butcher physically assaulted me with the animal body parts. He pushed them in my face and into the face of two others and forced it to the mouth of another who got animal blood on her cheek.

She added that water was thrown at her, soaking her phone "among other things":

I had water thrown at me along with the other protesters from the guys who owned the vegetable stall opposite the butchers. My phone got soaked among other things.

Everyone was attacked verbally, progressing onto very violent verbal threats, we were told we were going to receive physical abuse if we did not move or stop recording and that our equipment would be smashed.

Lindstorm said she reported the incident to police.

Security is called on the protestors, who were there to raise awareness of the abuse within the agricultural industry, reports UNILAD.

You can watch the entire scene below:

indy100 has contacted West Yorkshire Police for comment.

More: What this vegan was served in a restaurant has gone viral