@c5news: “Don’t touch her!”    An animal rights activist claims she was “attacked” after trying to convince tourists not to use donkeys to transport them and their bags in Greece. PETA campaigners filmed themselves trying to get travellers to use “robot legs” to propel them up Santorini’s famous 500-step Karavolades Stairs from the old port to the clifftop town.   Wearing t-shirts promoting “innovation instead of donkey exploitation”, the campaigners were seen standing on the stairs and being asked to leave by the donkey handlers.   After defending their right to be on a “public way”, the situation escalated when a handler is seen moving one female campaigner out of the way while brandishing a donkey goad.   “Don’t touch her” the person filming screams, while the activist hit is heard crying in distress, shouting “he hit me”.  PETA condemned the incident when they released the footage on their social accounts on Friday to raise awareness of “exploitation of donkeys and mules” in tourist destinations.  Describing themselves as “peaceful animal defenders”, they said: “Animals aren’t transportation. End ‘donkey taxis’.”  Animal welfare groups have actively campaigned against donkey taxi rides in Santorini for about eight years. In 2018, one group documented severe spinal injuries, open sores and exhaustion, and later that year the government passed legislation making it illegal to load working equines with more than 100kgs, or one-fifth of their body weight.

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Tuesday 08 September 2026 13:04:53 GMT