Royal Winter fair protest

Toronto activists storm beef championship at Royal Winter Fair

Toronto police escorted about two dozen protesters from the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair on Sunday evening after said protesters stormed an event called the 'Supreme Beef Championship.'

The annual competition pits farmers from across the country — or, more accurately, their cows — against each other to vie for the title of Supreme Champion, an honour bestowed upon the best bovine beauties of the bunch (like a dog show, but for animals that people eat).

This year, two-year-old Princess Valentine of Oattes Cattle took the crown for females of her species, while the almost two-year-old MVY Caous of Rollin Acres Charolais was named top bull.

These award-winning show cattle appear to be professional procreators (as opposed to future hamburgers), used by breeders to make more genetically-gifted and fancy cows.

The same cannot necessarily be said for their offspring, of course, or the hundreds (if not thousands) of cows hanging out at Toronto's Exhibition Place this week. I mean, they're all being referred to as "beef." 

"Animals are not property, machines, or objects for us to use," says protest organizer Johanna Nikoletos on why she and her companions at Direct Action Everywhere disrupted the competition last night.

"They are individuals, and just like us, they want to be free," she continued. "We will continue to disrupt the Royal to speak for these animals who are being systematically silenced by this industry."

royal winter fair protestThe animal rights activists entered the ring holding up white roses and a banner that read "ANIMAL LIBERATION NOW."

Police removed the group so that the show could continue, and while video footage from the scene shows some dramatic back-and-forth, no activists were arrested or charged.

royal winter fair protestDirect Action Everywhere Toronto says that it will continue disrupting events such as this one "until the exploitation of animals stops," and demands that the already embattled Exhibition Place shut down The Royal, now in its 96th year, altogether.

Photos by

Direct Action Everywhere


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

What Toronto looked like over 155 years ago

The surprisingly radical history of that church they built the Toronto Eaton Centre around

Toronto has one of the highest unemployment rates among major cities in Canada

The average hourly wage for Canadian employees is now almost $35

This Ontario city is trying to lure residents from Toronto with its cheap cost of living

This ultra-poisonous Ontario plant looks delicious but can easily kill you

Here's why there's an abandoned space-age bunker below a Toronto highway

People in Toronto wondering about mysterious black boxes spotted around the city