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PETA Offshoot Defends Human Flesh Stunt

Two members of META were taken into custody following the stunt.

Earlier today Lake County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. James Mardell said the pair, Katrin Reiche and Raul Santos, were arrested for the improper disposal of a body and causing a public disturbance, but more charges would follow. "The State Attorney's Office will be acting quickly and I expect there will be multiple charges," Mardell said. "You do not serve human flesh to a wedding party without breaking a whole string of laws."

In the interview with WDBO, the META spokesperson, who said his name was Jim but refused to give a last name, said the group had not broken any laws.

"The human flesh, which the carnivorous diners feasted upon and which they lauded as delicious on camera, was voluntarily donated by a META activist who passed away last week," the spokesperson said. "Her last will and testament explicitly requested that her remains be used for the cause."

The deceased activist's flesh was allegedly used in casseroles, schnitzels, and other dishes by Santos, who worked for the caterer which supplied the dinner for the wedding reception. Reiche, who recorded the incident with a video camera, stunned the wedding party guests by announcing the substitution on stage, shortly after the bride, Jenny Delaney nee Carrey, had finished dancing with her father, Kevin Carrey.

The announcement was met with shock and outrage. A number of dinner guests, including the bride's 81-year-old grandmother, suffered nausea and were rushed to the hospital.

The META spokesperson said the reaction of the guests was understandable. "The question is, why aren't people rushed to the hospital after eating a pork chop? It's pretty much identical to a human chop."

He added that the stunt had been carried out to prove that eating animals was wrong.

"Humans are animals with neither more nor fewer rights than other animals. Eating animal flesh such as beef or pork is exactly the same as devouring a human, and that is the point we made yesterday."

META was founded by former members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a mainstream animal rights organization which, according to its website, works closely with industry to improve animal rights, but which is also known for attention-grabbing pubicity stunts. PETA's anti-fur campaign frequently involved incidents in which fake blood was thrown at wearers of fur.

A PETA spokesperson, reached by telephone in Norfolk, Virginia, denied any knowledge of the Lake County incident, and said that PETA had no formal or informal ties with META.