‘Don’t Touch Her!’: Donkey Handler Allegedly Attacks Female PETA Activist, Video Appears to Show Him Hitting Her in the Face
"They roughly grabbed the young women."
A donkey handler allegedly attacked a female activist protesting the use of donkeys to carry tourists on the Greek island of Santorini. According to Daily Mail, the woman was among a small group of German activists demonstrating on the Karavolades steps when the incident unfolded. Footage appears to show the activist walking away from a man holding a stick when he suddenly raises his hand toward her. The footage appears to show him striking her in the face and pushing her against a wall.
She screams and falls onto the paved steps as other activists yell, “Don’t touch her!” Separate footage from before the incident shows a group of handlers surrounding the activists, telling them not to take photos. One man appears to shove a camera out of a woman’s hands. PETA Germany condemned the incident, saying the men “destroyed their protest signs and tried to prevent them from filming further.”
The group added that they “roughly grabbed the young women, insulted them and forced them down the steps.” PETA said the activists had planned to demonstrate an animal-friendly alternative to donkey rides, using robotic exoskeleton legs. PETA Germany said it will file criminal charges against the handlers and has asked witnesses to come forward. The identity of the handler seen in the footage has not been confirmed, and there’s no indication he has publicly responded to the allegations.
What PETA Actually Is and What It Does
PETA, formally People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was founded in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco. The organization is based in Norfolk, Virginia. It’s grown into one of the world’s largest animal rights organizations, with millions of supporters globally. The group campaigns against animal use in areas including factory farming, product testing, the fur trade, and entertainment. It typically does this through public demonstrations, undercover investigations, and media campaigns.
PETA’s tactics have drawn both mainstream support and criticism over the years, including from past coverage of the organization’s more unusual campaigns as well as its occasional celebrity partnerships recognizing public figures for animal advocacy. This alleged incident happened in Greece, but the same physical act would carry specific legal consequences in the US. Striking someone in the face without consent generally meets the definition of battery in every US state.
The FindLaw and Nolo legal databases describe this as intentional, unwanted physical contact that doesn’t require serious injury to qualify. Most states would likely charge conduct like this as simple battery, a misdemeanor typically punishable by up to a year in jail. That charge can escalate to aggravated assault or felony battery depending on the jurisdiction and the extent of any injury.
Several US states also apply enhanced penalties when an assault targets someone specifically for engaging in lawful protest activity. These laws treat interference with protected First Amendment expression as an aggravating factor, not a defense. Destroying the activists’ protest signs and knocking a camera from someone’s hands could separately support property damage or additional battery charges under most state laws.
For decades, donkeys and mules on Santorini have carried tourists up hundreds of cobbled steps to the town of Fira. That practice has drawn increasing criticism over spinal injuries, saddle sores, and exhaustion documented in the animals. A cable car introduced on the island reduced donkey use for a time, but demand rose again as cruise ship tourism brought up to 17,000 visitors a day.
Thousands have signed petitions calling for the practice to be banned.
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