Belgian artist who threw terrified cats up a flight of stairs for performance piece is swamped with 20,000 complaints

Jan Fabre threw screaming cats up in the air in Antwerp City Hall, Belgium, for controversial act

The artist has been physically attacked seven times and received a deluge of complaints following the performance





A Belgian artist has received 20,000 complaints and been physically attacked after he staged a performance hurling cats up a flight of stairs.



Jan Fabre held his piece of work at Antwerp City Hall in Belgium recently where he launched several vulnerable cats into the air which could be heard screaming in fear.



They then endured a hard landing onto a flight of stairs beneath that was roughly padded.

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Jan Fabre staged a controversial performance throwing cats up in the air in Antwerp, Belgium, pictured

The Belgian artist received 20,000 complaints and has been attacked seven times over the act, pictured

The performance, which was posted online, has prompted a torrent of outrage.

According to Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique, Mr Fabre has received 20,000 emails slamming his act. He has also been attacked seven times by men carrying clubs whilst out jogging in the park and been forced to sleep in a different location every night.

Antwerp's deputy mayor for animal wellbeing and the animal rights organisation Global Action in the Interest of Animals have also launched complaints about Mr Fabre's controversial act.

Mr Fabre told a Flemish TV station: 'I am deeply sorry that the cats landed badly. I want to apologize to cat lovers. It was not my intention to injure or hurt the cats. The cats are fine.'

He also later claimed on a French-language station that the coverage of his cat-throwing performance was 'sensationalized' and 'exaggerated'.

The cats landed on a flight of stairs that was roughly padded for protection in Antwerp City Hall, pictured

The performance, pictured, prompted mass outrage after it was posted online



Watch the video here. WARNING: scenes of cruelty