Animal rights activists interrupt Bills-Rams game, carry smoke flare across field

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Two animal rights activists briefly interrupted the Buffalo Bills’ shellacking of the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night in the first game of the NFL season.

The women, identified as Emek Echo and Katia Shokrai with Direct Action Everywhere, ran across SoFi Stadium holding up smoke flares. The group said the women sought to highlight the upcoming Smithfield Foods factory farm whistleblowers trial.

The women were tackled by security guards and one of them lost their flare in the midst of the chaotic situation. Bills quarterback Josh Allen tossed the flare all the way into the end zone and it was picked up by a security guard.

Katia Shokrai and Emek Echo ahead of their protest. (Direct Action Everywhere)

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The incident stopped the game as the smoke cleared. The Bills would knock off the defending Super Bowl champions 31-10.

Direct Action Everywhere said in a press release two of its investigators, Paul Darwin Picklesimer and Wayne Hsiung were charged with multiple felonies for "rescuing" piglets from Circle Four Farms which is owned by Smithfield Foods. The incident occurred in 2017.

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"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."

Two women rush SoFi Stadium field with smoke flares to highlight upcoming