A gruesome slaughter took place in Toronto last March. Len Goldberg told the CBC he was witness to the awful aftermath: "There's a mix of emotions when you see the leg of an innocent being carved up in front of you to taunt you. There's a lot of sorrow when you see that because we know that leg belonged to a being."
The murderer, however, is not Hannibal Lecter. His name is Michael Hunter, the chef and co-owner of the Antler restaurant in Toronto. The victim was a deer.
Animal-rights activists including Goldberg had been staging multiple protests against Hunter's establishment. The Antler, according to its website, serves "innovative Canadian cuisine with entrees such as Spice Ash Crusted Rack of Deer and a Game Burger made with Wild Boar, Bison, Deer" as well as pappardelle with braised rabbit and wild boar egg rolls.
In other words, a vegan nightmare.
And so they took to the street, protesting outside Antler while holding up signs that read, "We are here for those who didn't have a choice" and "Animals Do Not Want To Die." Antler already stresses it sources from humanely treated animals and that he actually forages for his ingredients. Nevertheless, as one protester told the CBC, "Animals don't care that they are being served in a small restaurant. That's their life, not ours to take." Even after the restaurant made the concession of providing vegan offerings, the protesters said it wasn't enough: "It's a great start, but only a start," one activist told blogTO. "Antler serves the cruel foie gras, they also farm animals meant to run in the wild like deer."
At which Michael Hunter was, well, fed up. During the fourth protest, the chef and owner butchered a deer leg in the front window while the protesters watched in horror. Hunter later sat by the window and enjoyed his perfectly cooked venison, savoring every morsel.
The protesters have largely moved on, though as one manager told the Washington Free Beacon, "They're like Frosty the Snowman. They'll be back again some day."
So congratulations Michael Hunter for pulling a Tywin Lannister. You are a Free Beacon Man of the Year.
