People Keep Eating Burgers And Nuggets As PETA Protests Rock Springs McDonald’s

ROCK SPRINGS — In a state where livestock outnumber humans more than 2-to-1, a lone PETA protester parked in front of the McDonald’s in Rock Springs on Thursday to protest eating meat and promote veganism.

Sky Morgin, the driver of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) Hell on Wheels truck, spent nearly two hours outside the fast-food outlet on Sunset Drive, broadcasting the sounds of chickens in distress.

The demonstration may have drawn some lookie-loos, but didn’t seem to sway anyone in Rock Springs from getting their burgers and Chicken McNuggets.

The outside of the truck is wrapped with images of chickens crammed into tiny cages with the message, “Does this bother you? Please go vegan.”

Every 10 seconds, a subliminal message from the truck urged passersby to consider going vegan.

The truck rolled into town as part of a national tour targeting restaurants that serve meat.

While this protest focused on the poultry industry, PETA’s broader mission challenges all meat consumption.

“We want people to understand that behind every chicken nugget is a sensitive, intelligent animal that suffered,” Morgin said.

Hard Sell

PETA’s message, however, is a hard sell in Rock Springs or just about anyplace else in Wyoming, where ranching is one of the state’s largest economic drivers, accounting for more than $1 billion in impact a year, the University of Wyoming reports.

Wyoming is home to 1.26 million cattle spread across 28.8 million acres of farmland.

The beef industry, which contributes $1.03 billion annually to the state’s economy and makes up nearly 60% of its agricultural output, underscores how deeply ingrained livestock is in the region's culture and economy, UW reports.

Sweetwater County Commissioner Taylor Jones stopped by the McDonald’s to buy a chicken sandwich during his lunch break, showing support for the livestock industry.

“A protest like this seems out of place here,” he said. “We value where our food comes from, and I don’t think most people here see the meat industry the same way PETA does.

“Meat is not only a big part of our economy in Wyoming, it's also a part of our history and culture.”

This sentiment was echoed by several other locals who came out to see the truck. They seemed more curious or inclined to mock the truck than consider its shock methods of promoting veganism.

Why Here?

Perplexed by why PETA would stage a protest in Sweetwater County, many questioned the organization’s decision to target an area where agriculture and livestock production are deeply tied to the community’s cultural and economic fabric.

"My wife and I came out because it just seems strange for PETA to protest here," said Rock Springs resident Trent Tolson, who watched the demonstration from his car. “We’re big on eating meat — beef, chicken, venison — and I’m not giving that up for some silly display.”

Kenny Wolff, came out to voice his concerns directly to Morgin, making it clear that the protest clashed with everything he believed Wyoming stands for.

To Wolff, the demonstration symbolized an unwelcome shift in values — one he hopes never takes root in his home state.

“I feel partial to Wyoming and I’m proud of being from Wyoming and I don’t want to see our state become like everywhere else and have these types of protests coming to our state,” he said.

“And you have to think, if you owned that business or I owned that business, we’d be upset with someone doing this. It’s not fair to the company or to the owner,” he said. “It can affect their business, and it’s not right.”

Chicken Nuggets Counter-Protest

While the demonstration remained peaceful, there were a few subtle signs of resistance.

Chicken nuggets, bought from McDonald’s were scattered on the back end of the PETA truck and inside the plastic holder of untouched “vegan starter kits.”

Still undeterred, Morgin explained that part of PETA’s goal is to spark conversations, even in areas where animal agriculture reigns supreme.

“Anywhere where exploitation is occurring, PETA likes to be there where conversations can be had and their minds can be open,” he said. “The agricultural industry is affecting people in this state and places like Nebraska where agriculture is so prominent more than anywhere else. So this is where the conversations need to be had.”

PETA did manage to attract a couple of local supporters.

Among them was Jason Grubb, a lifelong vegan who has recommitted to the lifestyle in the last nine months, came out to show his support.

“I’m here because I support the ethical treatment of animals,” Grubb said. “I think the things that we do in food production and in the food industry just aren’t right and it’s not healthy for any of us.”

Another supporter, Tina Chambers, said she went vegan 10 years ago after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She believes switching to a plant-based diet has helped her mother stay cancer-free for a decade.

“When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, the hospital gave me a brochure before her chemo, and it was all about plant-based diets,” Chambers said. “I did a lot of research and learned that veganism can help reverse diseases. I changed our diets to vegan, and while I care about animals, for me, it’s as much about health as ethics.”

Not PETA’s First Rock Springs Rodeo

Thursday’s protest wasn’t PETA’s first move in Sweetwater County.

In June, the organization sued the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport for allegedly violating free speech rights when it rejected a PETA ad about how leather luggage is animal cruelty.

The ad, which showed a cow’s head and legs sticking out of a carry-on bag, urged travelers to "choose vegan" alternatives. PETA argues the airport’s decision was discriminatory and violated the First Amendment, sparking an ongoing legal battle.

The county and its airport manager countered, saying the ad wasn’t appropriate to be in the airport terminal.

In addition to legal actions, PETA has staged various protests across Wyoming this last year, though these efforts have generally drawn little support.

Nobody showed up to support PETA in one such demonstration outside the Wyoming Capitol in April, where four from the group advocated for a tax on meat.