Two female animal rights activists on Thursday interrupted the first NFL game of the season to protest an upcoming factory farm trial where two investigators from Direct Action Everywhere are facing up to 10 years in prison for “rescuing” piglets from Circle Four Farms.
Emek Echo and Katia Shokrai ran across SoFi Stadium field in Los Angeles with pink smoke flares before being tackled by security guards.
The Los Angeles Rams were playing the Buffalo Bills in the season opener.
“Smithfield, like the animal agriculture industry itself, is a barbaric house of cards — built on unconscionable, systemic abuse, and desperate attempts to shield that abuse from the public eye,” Shokrai said in a news release. “I want the world to know that animal rescuers are facing years in prison because of this company’s undue influence on our democracy.”
Five activists were charged in the 2017 incident. Three took plea deals while Paul Darwin Picklesimer and Wayne Hsiung were charged with multiple felonies. The trial is set to start in October.
Direct Action Everywhere promotes “nonviolent direct action and community building to create revolutionary social and political change for animals,” according to its Twitter profile.
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