19 activists arrested at California state Capitol — some chained themselves to the building

The California Highway Patrol’s Capitol Protection Section confirmed that 19 animal rights activists were arrested Friday after some chained themselves to the state government building.

A group of about 20 protesters with Direct Action Everywhere, an organization that advocates for animal rights, arrived at the Capitol Friday morning demanding an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom to ban the construction of any new factory farms or slaughterhouses in the state.

Direct Action Everywhere organizers said three activists who planned on being arrested scaled the Capitol and chained themselves to a second-floor balcony, holding a large red banner that read “animal bill of rights” and lighting red smoke flares.

Those three were removed from the balcony and taken into custody, but so were many others on Capitol grounds.

CHP officials said they had jumped a barricade fence along the west side of the Capitol and entered state grounds. The group did not receive a permit, and those arrested face charges of unpermitted protest as well as hanging unauthorized objects on state property and conspiracy, according to the CHP.

Organizers said the protesters were entirely peaceful. One 76-year-old woman who was arrested “was simply holding a placard on public property in front of the Capitol,” Direct Action Everywhere organizers wrote in an email to The Sacramento Bee. They added that the 19 protesters were released from custody overnight.

Earlier this week, seven Direct Action Everywhere protesters were arrested in the Los Angeles area after attempting to remove a pig from a slaughterhouse.

Another unpermitted event is expected Saturday. A Christian religious group called Capitol City Worship was planning to hold an outdoor prayer service from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.