A PETA protester interrupted the Twisters premiere in Los Angeles on Thursday as the cast and director were about to introduce the film to the audience.
A staffer for The Hollywood Reporter inside the theater said the demonstrator ran down the aisle and rushed the stage as stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell and director Lee Isaac Chung stood in front of the crowd. The person was also seen in videos shared on X, formerly Twitter, chanting, “There’s no excuse for animal abuse.”
Security and staff members at the event appeared to carry the person off the stage as they continued to yell.
Dozens of protesters were also seen outside the premiere, carrying signs that read “Stop Glamorizing Rodeos” and “Lasso Tornadoes, Not Animals.”
PETA demonstrators were seemingly protesting rodeo scenes that are featured in the film. The American animal rights nonprofit organization wrote on X Thursday night, “We demand a disclaimer! @universalpics, it’s time for a reality check. @Twisters’ rodeo date scene glorifies torment, violence, and death of animals.”
PETA also wrote on its website, asking audiences “to consider the exploitation behind the troubling rodeo scenes staged for the movie. … Injuries and death are common for animals in these events. Every reputable animal protection organization opposes rodeos, which is why this summer’s biggest movie should condemn, not glamorize, this blood sport.”
Twisters, which hits theaters July 17, follows a retired tornado-chaser and meteorologist who is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and new technologies.
