67 members of animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere arrested at Petaluma’s McCoy Poultry Services

It took 40 Sonoma County Sheriff deputies and one helicopter to arrest 67 of the 200 protesters who broke into McCoy Poultry Services on Saturday in attempt to rescue chickens they said were being mistreated.

Around 1:30 p.m., the sheriff's department received multiple 911 calls about the protesters illegally trespassing at the Jewett Road farm. Some of the protesters blocked the road to deputies, while others made their way into the farm and began walking out with chickens. In a press release sent before the protest, the animal-rights group Direct Action Everywhere called for a 'vigil and sit-in,' and laid out its plans to remove 'dead or dying' animals from the Petaluma farm.

The activists said they created a veterinary tent to treat the chickens, but were only able to rescue one, which was taken to a farm animal sanctuary. They claim the others were slaughtered.

One unidentified protester was arrested for assaulting the owner of the farm and an employee, a claim the group's press secretary denied. The others were arrested on charges ranging from misdemeanor trespassing to felony burglary. Deputies were on scene for more than four hours arresting the animal activists. Bond was set at $20,000, and most of the protesters were released on Sunday. It should be noted that Direct Action Everywhere claims 58, not 67, of its members were arrested.

'These birds are living creatures, not things, but Amazon and other major retailers treat them like commodities,' said Priya Sawhney of Direct Action Everywhere in the news release, claiming that McCoy Poultry sells to Amazon, which the Argus-Courier could not independently verify over the weekend.

The group is lobbying for a new law that would require restaurants and retailers to label animal products that have been produced in factory farms. Direct Action Everywhere is known for its large protests against a wide range of businesses who sell or produce animal-based products. Petaluma's agricultural business roots have been a magnet for such protests in recent years.