BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. (AP) — About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group's leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett stated in a video that 300 to 400 protesters were 'violently trying to break into the property' and assaulting officers. He emphasized that protesters had ignored designated peaceful protest areas, blocking roads and preventing emergency vehicles from accessing the location.
'This is not a peaceful protest, Barrett said. The sheriff's department reported that a significant number of protesters were arrested without specifying a total, as processing continued into the afternoon.
Participants attempted to overcome barricades, including a manure-filled trench, hay bales, and a barbed-wire fence. While some protesters breached the fence, they ultimately could not access the facility, which reportedly houses over 2,000 beagles.
Activist Julie Vrzeski expressed her feelings of defeat three hours into the operation as they had not successfully taken any dogs. Subsequent to the confrontation at Ridglan Farms, protesters relocated to demonstrate outside a jail in downtown Madison.
The Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs group, spearheaded by Wayne Hsiung, originally planned to seize the dogs on Sunday but moved the operation up a day, ultimately leading to his arrest as he posted details on social media.
The sheriff's office reported that one individual was detained for recklessly driving a pickup truck through the property's front gate, which could have resulted in severe consequences.
In previous protests in March, activists had successfully entered the facility and seized 30 dogs, with 27 individuals arrested on related charges.
Although Ridglan Farms faces accusations of animal mistreatment, the facility has denied these claims and agreed to relinquish its state breeding license to avoid prosecution.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett stated in a video that 300 to 400 protesters were 'violently trying to break into the property' and assaulting officers. He emphasized that protesters had ignored designated peaceful protest areas, blocking roads and preventing emergency vehicles from accessing the location.
'This is not a peaceful protest, Barrett said. The sheriff's department reported that a significant number of protesters were arrested without specifying a total, as processing continued into the afternoon.
Participants attempted to overcome barricades, including a manure-filled trench, hay bales, and a barbed-wire fence. While some protesters breached the fence, they ultimately could not access the facility, which reportedly houses over 2,000 beagles.
Activist Julie Vrzeski expressed her feelings of defeat three hours into the operation as they had not successfully taken any dogs. Subsequent to the confrontation at Ridglan Farms, protesters relocated to demonstrate outside a jail in downtown Madison.
The Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs group, spearheaded by Wayne Hsiung, originally planned to seize the dogs on Sunday but moved the operation up a day, ultimately leading to his arrest as he posted details on social media.
The sheriff's office reported that one individual was detained for recklessly driving a pickup truck through the property's front gate, which could have resulted in severe consequences.
In previous protests in March, activists had successfully entered the facility and seized 30 dogs, with 27 individuals arrested on related charges.
Although Ridglan Farms faces accusations of animal mistreatment, the facility has denied these claims and agreed to relinquish its state breeding license to avoid prosecution.
