A cruelty to animals protest took place on Holy Saturday, outside the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George Thornbury.
The church is celebrating its name day today.
Vegan Greek Australians felt compelled to send their message of animal liberation, especially to those who have spent time fasting (partly from animal products) in the weeks leading up to Holy Saturday.
The vegan activists protested outside the church on Holy Saturday, on the night of the Resurrection mass and the day before Greek Orthodox Easter, the most important days in the Greek Orthodox Calendar.
The Greek Australian vegans held three placards which read "Life cannot be celebrated with death" [in Greek = Η ΖΩΗ ΔΕΝ ΓΙΟΡΤΆΖΕΤΑΙ ΜΕ ΘΑΝΑΤΟ].
The group wanted to raise awareness on "a night where eggs two people crack eggs against each other. The challenge is called tsougrisma in Greek in a tradition in religious symbolism".
They added that "the race to get home after midnight mass and for most, it will be the first time in weeks where they again feast on the flesh of tortured animals".
The activists remained respectful and peaceful at all times, not speaking to anyone unless they chose to engage first.
Police turn up to remove the activists from the church ground, and they continued their protest peacefully outside.
The three activists argued that “a night of prayer just before devouring the flesh of innocent beings like lambs and pigs amongst other smaller animals is the right night to raise awareness and ask for compassion towards all forms of life”.
Unfortunately, the protest caused an emotional reaction by the crowd attending the liturgy, which found the act offensive, taking place at church and in a moment of prayer.
The public asked the trio of vegan activists to "just don't do this tonight!"
