Disputes over how animals are treated in farming, food production, research and entertainment, and over the laws and advocacy campaigns that govern that treatment.
Published coverage on this page: 1 case · 5 statements. Statements are ordered newest first.
After a deadly shooting in Logan Circle on November 12, 2026, PETA posted that Mallard, a restaurant down the block, was holding a foie gras dinner that night. José Andrés and others objected, and PETA deleted the post while defending it.
Published
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5 matching statements
Role at the time: Founder of PETA, in a PETA statement
Statement summary
Newkirk shames Andrés and Mallard, says PETA canceled its protest and asked the restaurant to cancel its foie gras dinner out of respect for neighbors affected by the shooting, and says Andrés attacked PETA for asking for that consideration.
Quotation excerpt
“Shame on José Andrés and Mallard restaurant, one block from the DC shooting. Out of respect for our mutual close neighbors affected by horrific violence just blocks away, PETA canceled its protest outside Mallard and appealed to the…”
“Shame on José Andrés and Mallard restaurant, one block from the DC shooting. Out of respect for our mutual close neighbors affected by horrific violence just blocks away, PETA canceled its protest outside Mallard and appealed to the restaurant to cancel its foie gras dinner, too. Mallard showed its true colors by going ahead with a dinner celebrating defiance of DC voters’ decision to ban foie gras, while foie gras defender José Andrés attacked us for asking for that consideration.”
What this label refers to
Newkirk recasts PETA's post as an appeal for consideration toward the shooting's neighbors and faults Andrés for attacking it, which defends the post.
Role at the time: Executive editor and co-host of City Cast DC, writing in its newsletter
Statement summary
In City Cast DC's newsletter, Schaffer gives PETA the award for the most tone-deaf statement about the shooting, saying the group used it to slam a nearby restaurant's foie gras meal.
“And the award for most tone-deaf statement about yesterday’s mass shooting goes to … PETA, which used the incident to slam a nearby eatery that had scheduled a foie gras meal for last night.”
What this label refers to
Schaffer calls PETA's post the most tone-deaf statement about the shooting and says the group used the incident to slam a restaurant, which condemns the post.
Role at the time: Animal rights organization, official X account
Statement summary
PETA says it canceled its protest at Mallard out of respect for the shooting victims, that its post called on the restaurant to help eliminate violence by dropping foie gras, and that it took the post down because foie gras supporters such as Andrés were twisting it.
Quotation excerpt
“We canceled a protest scheduled today in front of Mallard restaurant for its despicable sale of foie gras out of respect for the victims of the shooting, and in our tweet, we were calling on the restaurant to help eliminate violence by…”
“We canceled a protest scheduled today in front of Mallard restaurant for its despicable sale of foie gras out of respect for the victims of the shooting, and in our tweet, we were calling on the restaurant to help eliminate violence by pulling the cruel item from its menu. We took down our tweet because people who support and take part in the violent killing of ducks and geese for foie gras, like Chef Jose Andres, were twisting it, yet we encourage everyone to remember that it is possible to care about more than one thing at a time and to respect all life.”
What this label refers to
PETA explains the deleted post as a call to end violence, says critics twisted it and asks people to care about more than one thing at a time, which defends the post rather than retracting it.
Role at the time: Chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, posting on X
Statement summary
Andrés responds to PETA's post linking the Logan Circle shooting to Mallard's foie gras dinner by saying the group should be ashamed to post it while people were dead and injured.
“You should be so ashamed of this tweet……People dead and injured and you tweet this?”
What this label refers to
Andrés says PETA should be ashamed of the post and asks how it could post this with people dead and injured, which condemns the post.
Role at the time: Journalist, posting on X
Statement summary
Ali shares a screenshot of PETA's post about the shooting and Mallard's foie gras dinner and says there is something deeply wrong with the organization.
“There is something deeply wrong with this organization.”
What this label refers to
Ali posts PETA's message with his own verdict that something is deeply wrong with the group, a direct criticism of PETA for the post.
Co-founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
1 case and 1 statement
Michael Schaffer is a Washington, D.C., journalist who is executive editor and co-host of City Cast DC, a local podcast and newsletter. He was previously editor of Washingtonian magazine and of Washington City Paper.
1 case and 1 statement
Jose Andres is a Spanish American chef, restaurateur and humanitarian. He founded World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals during disasters and other emergencies, and leads restaurant and media businesses.
1 case and 1 statement
Yashar Ali is an American journalist who has written for HuffPost, New York magazine and NBC News. He publishes the newsletter The Reset and has a large following on X, and Time magazine included him in its 2019 list of the most influential people on the internet.
1 case and 1 statement
