Why the 'Twisters' Premiere Was Interrupted by Animal Rights Protesters

The premiere of the new movie Twisters saw a little more excitement than moviegoers may have expected thanks to a protest that broke out at the event. Animal advocates carried signs and yelled out to attendees as they entered the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 11, voicing their concerns over the way a certain scene was handled in the film. Meanwhile, one protester actually made it onto the premiere's stage.

Read on to learn which scene the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were upset about, including what happened during one woman's interruption that stopped the premiere in its tracks.

PETA sent animal rights advocates to protest the sequel to the 1996 hit movie after the organization said that the film glorified rodeos.

In a post shared on PETA's website, the animal protection organization explained how the protest was specifically aimed at Universal Pictures, for failing to include a disclaimer in Twisters decrying the cruelty animals are exposed to in the rodeo circuit, something the advocates point out animals are forced into against their will.

A letter was even sent to those involved with the film ahead of its release. "PETA is calling on Universal Pictures to at least give viewers of this inhumane film the facts, which are that animals endure grievous injuries and agonizing deaths just so humans can play cowboy," Lisa Lange, PETA's Senior VP, wrote in part.

It seems like no such disclaimer was added, which is why PETA showed up at the premiere. Some protesters simply stood outside by the red carpet, holding up signs with phrases like "Animals have heart attacks at rodeos."

Meanwhile, one PETA protester rushed the stage during the film's introductions, shouting about the "cruelty and the abuse and the whipping of the animals" involved in rodeos. "There's no excuse for animal abuse!" she shouted repeatedly as she was dragged off the stage.

The disruption was caught on video by those in the audience, with some people gasping as the woman was tackled by security and removed from the theatre. Twisters Lead actors Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones were seen standing on stage silently observing the protest.

Some of the signs waved during the protest included phrases like, "calves' necks are twisted at rodeos," an apparent attempt to call attention to what animals can experience when involved in the sport. This isn't exactly the first time people have gathered to protest rodeos.

There has been lots of evidence shared over the years that indicates that animals are abused during both training and performances. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) claims that rodeo animals are often trained using painful methods including spurs, electric prods, bucking straps, and more.

Things can get even more dire during the rodeo themselves, where the ALDF says animals have experienced traumatic injuries that include torn ligaments, damage to their organs, broken bones, and even "agonizing deaths." Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like these creatures have much in the way of protection either, since the Animal Welfare Act doesn't apply to rodeos.

Whether the protests were enough to make Universal change its stance on adding the disclaimer about rodeos remains to be seen. But one thing we know for sure is that there's no arguing the fact that rodeos can be deadly for animals.