‘I’m ME, Not Meat’: Crustaceans Surface Near Struggling Red Lobster Locations With Vegan Plea

For Immediate Release:
October 28, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

Following a wave of Red Lobster closures since the chain filed for bankruptcy in 2024, PETA’s crustacean crusader is making a splash near the chain’s Northglenn and Aurora locations by proclaiming, “I’m ME, Not MEAT.” The eye-catching messages urge passersby to consider who is on their plate and to let lobsters and all animals live in peace by going vegan.

“Every lobster killed for a fleeting meal was a thinking, feeling being who didn’t want to die,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages everyone to see the individual behind their meal and to turn the tide for lobsters by opting for delicious vegan seafood instead.”

Lobsters have unique personalities, remember past acquaintances, can live for more than a century, and may travel 100 miles or more each year. Scientists have determined that lobsters feel pain, and confinement in restaurant tanks can cause stress from crowding and low oxygen levels. When dropped into scalding water, lobsters whip their bodies and scrape the sides of the pot in desperate attempts to escape.

PETA’s message can be seen on bus shelters and benches near Red Lobsters at 1350 W. 104th Ave. in Northglenn and 10854 E. Alameda Ave. in Aurora.

PETA notes that there is a wide variety of vegan seafood options available today and offers a free vegan starter kit for anyone looking to make the switch.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a lobster is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.