An animal rights activist has been arrested following a heated confrontation with parents at a reptile stall in Surfers Paradise, where children were posing for photographs with baby crocodiles. The incident occurred at the Surfers Paradise markets in Queensland on Friday evening, when outspoken vegan Tash Peterson was filmed by her own camera as she clashed with a frustrated mother.
Confrontation at the Markets
In a video posted to her Instagram account, Ms Peterson can be heard saying, "Held by the neck for children to touch, treated like objects, and then posed with as if they’re just for a photo opportunity - how disgusting is this?" A parent then approached her, stating, "I don’t really care, that’s my children. Don’t take photos of my kids."
Ms Peterson responded, "Maybe don't put them here with animal slaves, what do you expect? You're teaching them to abuse animals." The visibly upset mother threatened to "knock her block off" if the activist did not stop filming. Ms Peterson replied, "This is a public space. I can do what I want. Many horrible things are part of the circle of life, but that doesn’t justify doing them as a human being."
Escalation and Arrest
The argument escalated further when the parent, after being told to "get her morals straight," labelled Ms Peterson a "paedophile" for filming children. In another clip, Ms Peterson was confronted by additional bystanders who expressed anger that she filmed children without parental consent. Police were called to the scene, and the following day, the 32-year-old activist was arrested for being a "public nuisance."
"I spoke out against reptiles being used for children's entertainment, and the situation quickly escalated," Ms Peterson captioned the video. "The next day, I was the one arrested." She was issued a $1,000 fine and a 28-day ban from the Surfers Paradise Safe Night Precinct.
A Queensland Police spokesperson confirmed, "Around 5.30pm, officers were called to The Esplanade following reports a female was causing a disturbance while members of the public were attending an event. Following investigations, the 32-year-old female was fined for Public Nuisance Infringement and was issued with a Police Banning Notice prohibiting her from attending the Surfers Paradise Safe Night Precinct for 28 days."
