Victorian animal rights activist uploaded a video of himself harassing Coles customers and staff by shaming them for buying dairy products. Could face lawsuit.
A former gang member with several assault and drug charges to his name is now a YouTuber and animal rights activist who spends his days intimidating normal folk for buying non-vegan products.
Joey “Carbstrong, whose legal surname is Armstrong, has found himself in Aussie headlines many times; whether it is from one of his many violent assaults or his latest attempt at activism.
Joey, who claims to be speaking on behalf of animals, has wished death upon non-vegans before on his YouTube channel which now has 110,000 subscribers.
Although wishing harm upon a group of people on a public platform may not considered a legal threat, his intimidation tactics certainly fall under harassment.
In one of his videos Joey Armstrong went to Coles accompanied by a bunch of his vegan friends. Each one of his friends held portable televisions that showed graphic images of animals being slaughtered and prepared for human consumption.
“Murderer!” Joey Carbstrong and crew harass women who buys dairy and meat products at Coles, Westfield.
The 32-year-old animal rights activist blocked access to the dairy section until he was approached by a Coles staff member who asked him to leave. But instead Joey “Carbstrong” Armstrong proceeded to harass and intimidate shoppers who were buying milk.
Joey and his crew surrounded an unsuspecting woman who was doing her grocery shopping and shamed her for buying a 2L milk carton. “Milk is murder,” Joey shouted at the shopper while filming her shocked look.
Security had to get involved. They escorted Joey and his chain-gang out of the establishment as he pointed and shouted at shoppers who were buying meat produce calling them “murderers.”
Joey did not have permission to film inside of the grocery store, which is legally considered a private property, nor publish it online. He also filmed people in a private setting without their permission and uploaded the footage online without censoring their faces.
Joey “Carbstrong” Armstrong faces lawsuit after he blocks off dairy section at Coles, Westfield.
Private property is a space where the landowner can set rules and impose restrictions, for example, private residences and shopping centres. You may be allowed to film these locations from the street, but depending on where you are, this may be illegal. If you illegally film in these places, you can be ejected or even banned from re-entering. Further, you may also be trespassing if you have entered the property without the permission of the owner. Asking the owner or looking for signs prohibiting filming will help you ensure that you’re not doing anything illegal.
Armstrong’s actions are in serious violation of Coles’ policies and he will most likely face a nationwide ban from all of their shopping centres.
Westfield management had to intervene with security to remove Joey Carbstrong from Westfield centre. Considering lawsuit.
Coles also has the legal right to file a lawsuit against Joey Armstrong for violating the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
LawPath Australia states, if you’re filming for financial gain or for a business, then you are filming for a commercial purpose. If you’re filming for a commercial purpose, you may need to obtain permission from the people who will be in your footage and the landowner of the building. This is because there are protections in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). If you fail to do so, then you may be at risk of breaching copyright or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) may issue you a fine.
Joey Carbstrong could face lawsuit since his channel is monetised and that means everything uploaded there is for commercial use.
Since the content was uploaded to his YouTube channel which is linked to his AdSense account and is monetised on the platform the usage of footage would be considered commercial therefore making it a direct violation of the Copyright Act 1968.
Joey “Carbstrong” Armstrong, at least, is looking at a lifetime ban from entering Coles grocery stores — and this very well might extend to all Westfield Shopping Centres — but could also face a copyright infringement and defamation lawsuit.
What are your thoughts on Joey Carbstrong and his intimidation tactics at Coles, Westfield? Should he be hit with a lawsuit? Let us know in the comments below.