Dating back to 1972, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island has become an Independence Day tradition. But the event is apparently not without its detractors.
On Monday, a handful of animal rights protestors disrupted the contest by rushing the stage, throwing fake blood at the contestants and grabbing a hot dog out of a contestant's hand. The protestors were later taken into custody by police.
According to NY Daily News, the protest was conducted by an activist group called Direct Action Everywhere.
"This grotesque event takes a day of celebration and turns it into a festival of violence and gore for animals no different than our dogs and cats," a statement from the group read.
The protestors didn't deter Joey Chestnut, who saw his streak of eight straight hot dog eating championships end last year but reclaimed his crown Monday by downing 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes, a new event record.
