PETA activists stage ‘go-vegan’ protest outside new Popeyes chicken restaurant in Southend

The grand opening of Popeyes in Southend High Street drew more than just hungry customers on it’s opening day today – it also attracted animal rights activists staging a provocative protest outside the new fast food outlet.

Activists from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), dressed as fast food workers in aprons and hats, unveiled a giant takeaway-style box filled with fake chicken body parts including heads and feet. The display carried the message: “Here Is the Rest of Your Fried Chicken. Go Vegan.”

The protest stunt took place just outside the entrance of the new Popeyes restaurant at 90 High Street, Southend-on-Sea, one of the first branches in south Essex for the American fried chicken brand.

“Every chicken is an individual who feels love, joy, pain, and fear, and they don’t want to die for a Popeyes meal deal any more than we would,” said PETA Senior Campaigns Manager, Kate Werner. “PETA urges everyone to give birds a break by leaving them off their plates and stands ready to help with free vegan starter kits.”

The PETA spokesperson added: “Chickens can distinguish between more than 100 faces of their own species, have full-colour vision, and experience rapid eye movement sleep, which means they dream just like we do. Yet chickens killed for their flesh are crammed into severely crowded, filthy sheds and bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under the weight. At abattoirs, chickens’ throats are often cut while they’re still conscious, and many are scalded to death in de-feathering tanks.”

The protest coincided with the restaurant’s official opening, where the first 100 customers in the queue were rewarded with free chicken sandwiches – and the first three people received free sandwiches for an entire year.

The prominent high street unit was formerly home to The Ironworks, a community-focused venue that hosted exhibitions, workshops, talks, and local events. It shut its doors last summer after financial difficulties, leaving many in Southend disappointed by the loss of a cultural space. One local said: “I used to bring my kids to creative sessions at The Ironworks. It’s a shame we lost that, but I suppose it’s the sign of the times.”

Now, the space has been transformed into the latest Southend fast food outlet serving up Louisiana-style fried chicken, biscuits and gravy. Popeyes is expanding rapidly across the UK, with plans to open 45 new locations in 2025 – including another Essex site at Lakeside Shopping Centre.

Popeyes joins an already crowded fast food scene in Southend, setting up just a few doors down from a KFC on the same stretch of the High Street.

Popeyes Southend is located at 90 High Street, Southend On Sea, SS1 1JN.