This is the moment police attended at Michelin-starred restaurant Mana after Animal Rebellion protestors staged a sit-in protest.
Police were called to the venue, in Ancoats, just after 7pm on Saturday (December 3) as 16 supporters of the animal and climate justice movement entered the restaurant and occupied tables reserved for customers.
The demonstrators held mock menus aloft with the courses outlining the group's demands, such as "support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system".
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In the footage filmed from inside the restaurant, officers file into the restaurant as members of the public look on. They are seen to try and speak to some of those seated, who appear to remain silent.
Green mock menus can be seen on the table, as some people film on their mobile phones. Towards the end of the video, it shows some officers putting handcuffs on one of the protestors.
A spokesman for Animal Rebellion clamed that Mana was targeted because "it refuses to cater to vegans" and has "a meat-heavy menu". One of the protestors, Lewis, added: “These exclusive restaurants highlight a wider problem in our society. Whilst 2 million people are relying on food banks in the UK during this cost-of-living crisis, high-end restaurants are catering to a wealthy minority with meals worth hundreds of pounds.
"Instead of endorsing this broken system, we need to support farmers and fishing communities in a transition to a food system that works for us all. A plant-based food system that would feed more people using far less land, freeing up space for crucial rewilding to drawn-down carbon from the atmosphere and reverse biodiversity loss.”
Photographs taken from outside Mana show four police vehicles parked outside the restaurant, while images from inside show officers talking to restaurant staff. Manchester Evening News understands that a number of protestors were removed from the restaurant by police. Mana and GMP have been contacted for comment.
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