Anti-dairy protesters disrupt Toronto Maple Leafs outdoor practice

A group of anti-dairy protesters tried to disrupt the Toronto Maple Leafs' annual outdoor practice at Nathan Phillips Field on Thursday.

During the experiment, protesters supporting the “Milk Fear” campaign distributed hundreds of leaflets promoting non-dairy alternatives to milk. The group is fighting the Leafs partnership with Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO).

In 2022, the Leafs added a DFO jersey patch as part of their sponsorship offerings. The milk logo can be seen on the top right of their jerseys.

READ MORE: Toronto Maple Leafs practice Thursday at Nathan Phillips Field

In an Instagram post, protest organizer Mary-Chris Staples shared the goal of the campaign.

The word “Milk” has graced the Leafs jersey since last season. Our goal was to raise awareness of the realities of the dairy industry and give All Star fans a chance to see for themselves how amazing dairy products are! “Many fans are generally opposed to using corporate logos on jerseys, and agree that it's a way to avoid dairy,” he said.

According to fellow activist Jenny McQueen, a fan page called editorinleaf.com focused on milk logos and did not endorse the 2022 endorsement.

“Their theme? “The Toronto Maple Leafs milk jersey ads are disgusting… The dairy industry is a horrible and controversial industry that harms animal welfare, the environment and our health,” he said in the post.

Protest organizers said they were able to get their message across despite being chased by some police and security personnel.

Toronto has now reached out to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) but has yet to hear back.