Another Minnesota Timberwolves game, another fan protest.
An animal rights activist was removed during Game 4 between the Memphis Grizzles and Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday after running onto the court mid-game.
With 10:44 left in the third quarter, a fan seated in the second row behind the Timberwolves’ bench abruptly ran onto the court in the middle of a play at Minnesota’s Target Center. She was immediately tackled on the court by security and dragged off.
Direct Action Everywhere, an animal rights activist organization responsible for two previous fan protests at Timberwolves games, identified the protestor as Sasha Zemmel.
Zemmel was wearing a “fake ref uniform (that) had 5.3 displayed on the back,” according to USA TODAY Sports Network’s Damichael Cole, who said “that’s in reference to the 5.3 million chickens killed that protestors from the group have talked about.”
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The organization has claimed that the stunts are part of “ongoing efforts to get Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor to step down and return factory farm bailout money.” On Saturday, the organization confirmed that Zemmel was “dressed as #NBA Ref… while attempting to ‘eject’ #Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor.”
“She attempted to whistle to stop play as she approached Taylor at his courtside seat, to issue a ‘technical foul and ejection,’ along with a ‘fine’ against Forbes’ richest billionaire in Minnesota,” Direct Action Everywhere said in a press release.
Another protestor seated next to Zemmel was also removed from the game.
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This is the third fan protest by this organization at a Minnesota Timberwolves game this postseason. During the Timberwolves’ play-in game against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 12, an animal rights protester glued her hand to the hardwood along the baseline and sprawled out before security was able to pry her away.
During the Grizzles and Timberwolves series opener on April 16 at Memphis’ FedExForum, a woman chained herself to the back of the basket and threw flyers onto the court. There was a brief delay as security cut the protestor’s chain and carried her out the arena. According to Cole, “She was pumping her firsts while being carried out by security.”
