Dozens of animal rights activists cradled dead ducks with chains around their necks at the main gate of Reichardt Duck Farm in Sonoma County, California on Monday, while others rushed onto the property to “rescue” birds.

Nearly 100 members of Direct Action Everywhere and their supporters arrived on a half-dozen buses around 10 a.m. and were met with more than four dozen state and local police, most of them decked out in riot gear, The Press Democrat reports.

Many of the protestors scrawled messages on their bodies like “Animal Liberation” and wore matching blue protest shirts with the Direct Action Everywhere logo and “Animal Rescue” on the back. Some locked themselves to the front gate by their necks, some chained themselves together and cradled decaying dead ducks they allegedly found at the site, and others ran onto the property, according to the news site.

A handful of “activists” locked themselves to equipment inside the facility, while others swiped a total of 31 ducklings from the property.

“Another group of activists said they’d connected their necks to equipment where the birds had been hanging, forcing workers to turn off a conveyor belt,” The Press Democrat reports. Protest organizer Cassie King, who already faces seven felonies in Sonoma County for his past antics, “said the conveyor belt was turned back on, injuring at least one man.”

The man was treated by paramedics and transported to the hospital for medical attention.

Direct Action Everywhere told NBC Bay Area about 600 activists participated, though other reports suggested the total was far less. Direct Action Everywhere livestreamed portions of the stunt on Facebook, including live drone footage of activists trespassing on the property.

Video showed chanting circles, and impromptu concerts near the gate, which they adorned with roses – “a powerful nonviolent gesture of peace and nonviolence,” according to the video narrator.

Police alerted people in the area about the event, which blocked Middle Two Rock Road for hours, while the Sonoma County Farm Bureau warned members in the area to lock down their farms.

“Our members have asked to give us a call so others can be prepared, so they can ensure animals aren’t stolen or hurt by the activists,” executive director Tawny Tesconi told the Press Democrat.

Organizers bragged to the media that activists “saved” about three dozen birds from the facility, where they allege sick birds were recorded in undercover video unable to stand or access water. Activists published a different video of alleged abuses in 2014, but state investigators found no evidence of fowl play in a follow-up inspection.

“We’ve tried countless times to go through official channels … begging them to comply with animal cruelty laws, and they never did,” said activist Dean Wyrzykowski as he held a rotting dead duck with exposed ribs. “That’s why we’re carrying these birds, to show that we care about this issue, and we know other people care about this issue too, and we want to empower them.”

The activists stayed for several hours, and police began arresting those committing crimes around 3:45 p.m. By around 5 p.m., nearly 100 were in custody, The Press Democrat reports.

The stunt was far from the first for Direct Action Everywhere, which has been involved in other protests in Sonoma County last year. More recently, a member of the group rushed the stage during a MoveOn.org event in Berkeley over the weekend and snatched the microphone from Sen. Kamala Harris to rant about animal cruelty.

The antics in Sonoma County typify the kinds of over-the-top “direct action” animal activists are known for, though things don’t always go without incident.

In 2015, animal rights protesters stormed the Utah County Fair to “rescue” pigs involved in the wildly popular hog wrestling event. Video showed the puny protestors jumped into the mud pit at one point, only to be tossed back out moments later by one of the husky farm boys participating in the contest, prompting a raucous roar from the thousands in attendance, according to KUTV.