Activists Clash with Police Over Beagles at Wisconsin Research Facility

Tensions escalated this weekend as hundreds of animal rights activists clashed with police at a beagle breeding and biomedical research facility in Wisconsin. The chaotic scene unfolded on Saturday as about 1,000 protesters gathered at the Ridglan Farms facility in the town of Blue Mounds, roughly 25 miles southwest of Madison, in an attempt to breach the property and remove the dogs housed there.

This was the latest in a series of confrontations between activists and authorities at the facility. In a March raid, protesters had managed to remove 13 beagles, leading to charges of burglary and trespassing being referred to the local district attorney's office against 62 people.

This time, however, law enforcement was prepared, using rubber bullets and pepper spray to rebuff the activists and prevent them from gaining access to the facility. The Dane County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that it used these crowd control measures to maintain order and prevent the protesters from trespassing or removing any animals without authorization.