Animal rights activists staged a protest in the meat aisle at M&S in Newcastle on Good Friday.
Five supporters of Animal Rebellion sat down inside the store on Northumberland Street for around an hour. They were protesting at either end of the meat aisle against people eating lamb at Easter, which is a tradition in the UK.
They held up mock Mail on Sunday front pages which contained headlines such as: "Nation of Animal Lovers Eat Baby Sheep in Odd Annual Easter Ritual".
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The group took part in the protest at around midday on Friday. Animal Rebellion said police attended the shop, after being contacted by M&S, but no arrests were made.
Robert Gordon, who took part in the protest, said: "As a nation of animal lovers it is understandable that we love to see the spring lambs out in the sunshine, but now we know that a plant-based diet is healthy for all stages of life it is hard to grasp why we still continue to kill them.
"The farming of sheep is also a huge contributor to biodiversity loss and land-use change in the UK, due to both the large amount of land required per sheep and also their grazing habits."
Similar protests have also been carried out by Animal Rebellion in other cities across the country including Bristol, Canterbury and Norwich.
Last weekend, the Mail on Sunday’s front page headline was an investigation into the group and their plans to disrupt The Grand National. The event is set to take place at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool on April 15.
Animal Rebellion said they will launch a new direction for the animal movement in England on Monday. They said they will begin by disrupting The Grand National next weekend.
Animal Rebellion is urging wholesale governmental and societal support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system and programme of rewilding that will secure a future for generations to come.
The group said they will make a significant announcement" about their future on Monday.
At the end of last year, nine members of Animal Rebellion carried out a protest at a Michelin Star restaurant in Newcastle. They entered House of Tides, which is run by chef Kenny Atkinson, when it opened on December 18.
The group aimed to occupy tables in the venue which has been reserved for diners. They sat at tables with mock menus outlining the group's demands for a plant-based future.
However the manager of House of Tides said they sat downstairs in the bar area instead of the restaurant, which is located upstairs. Therefore the protest had no impact on their restaurant service.
Despite this, Animal Rebellion said their protest had been a success.
Chronicle Live has contacted Northumbria Police and M&S for a comment.
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