As they promised last week, protesters from the Portland Animal Defense League gathered outside Beast and Le Pigeon on Saturday night to protest the restaurants' use of foie gras, that delicious, delicious delicacy made of fattened goose liver. According to a tipster, about 60 protesters (with 10 police officers lingering to keep the peace) congregated in front of Beast for 45 minutes, protest chants carefully practiced. Check out the stealth video! (Warning if you're wearing headphones: Dudes are loud.)
In response to the chant "Hey Naomi, whaddaya say?", Naomi Pomeroy muses on the protest today. "I think I'd like to summarize the experience — as an all around good thing," Pomeroy says. "I am such a firm believer in people's right to speak their minds, after having spent time traveling in countries like Burma, where people are imprisoned for speaking out about their beliefs. It's always been a right that I take very seriously — and it applies even to these Foie protesters. While it was an inconvenience for sure, it also really warmed my heart in a weird way, I was even a little sad when they finally left."
"That said, it is a bummer that they have their facts seriously wrong," she continues. "I wrote a letter trying to respond to their original threats of protest, in which I told them... I really wish they spent time fighting against restaurants (and there are many here — and everywhere) that buy conventionally raised factory farmed product. When they fight against businesses like mine, they are really fighting against people who already agree with them in so many ways. There truly are bigger, better fights to be had — IBP, Monsanto — those are the people who are ruining it all. Not some people funnel-feeding geese."
As for Gabe Rucker's reaction, this week's menu at Le Pigeon, which debuted the night of the protest, features a foie gras appetizer.
· All Previous Beast Coverage [Eater PDX]
· All Previous Le Pigeon Coverage [Eater PDX]
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