Monday Night Football had some extra excitement during this week's matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers when the game was interrupted by a man carrying a pink smoke bomb who jumped onto the field at Levi's Stadium and took off sprinting around the gridiron.
With a cloud of pink smoke trailing behind him and several security officers in yellow jackets trying — and failing — to catch up, the demonstrator made it across the field and turned to run along the Rams' sideline. That's when linebacker Bobby Wagner decided to put an end to the display as he does best.
Again from another angle:
And once more with the Manning brothers providing commentary:
The protestor — whose actions were claimed by the animal rights group Right to Rescue, part of the larger Direct Action Everywhere organization that supports "animal liberation" — was then tackled by security before being removed from the field.
As Fox News reported, the display was apparently related to a trial taking place over the actions of some fellow activists who "rescued" piglets at a Smithfield facility — that is, stole them — resulting in multiple felony charges:
Direct Action Everywhere said in a press release that 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.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, five activists were charged in the incident. While three took plea deals, Picklesimer and Hsiung were charged with two third-degree felonies of burglary and a Class B misdemeanor count of theft.
Talking with ESPN after the crushing takedown, Wagner explained that he was "not making a play. That's just keeping it safe. You don't know what that fan got or what they're doing. You see it all the time, and we don't know what they're carrying in their pockets. It's whatever that little smoke stuff is, but that s**t could be dangerous."