The first-round series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies has been the epitome of playoff basketball.
There’s been a Game 1 upset, a 28-point blowout win, a historic 26-point comeback, a 4-shot performance from an All-Star, players’ fathers jokingly beefing and Patrick Beverley. Plus there’s been your typical must-see moments of acrobatic rim attacks, poster dunks, big defensive plays and clutch shots.
In short, this series has had it all. Including an animal rights activist group that, figuratively speaking, has a bone to pick with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor.
(Taylor did sell his ownership stake to Alex Rodriguez and billionaire investor Marc Lore in 2021 but they are reportedly buying the team in installments.)
Two of the more viral moments from this first-round matchup has involved Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), “a global network of activists working to achieve animal liberation in one generation.”
Why are there protests at Timberwolves games?
DxE is staging televised protests during Minnesota’s postseason because of Taylor’s ownership of Rembrandt Enterprises, a colossal factory egg farm located in Rembrandt, Iowa. While DxE is against factory farms in general, they’re especially indignant with Talyor’s Rembrandt Enterprises because of the farm’s use of ventilation shutdown plus (VSD+), a mass killing method where chickens are essentially suffocated by heat or gas.
According to a DxE investigation, Rembrandt Enterprises used VSD+ to kill 5.3 million chickens during an avian flu outbreak this year. That’s why they’ve been protesting at Timberwolves games. DxE wants to bring awareness to their investigation and expose Taylor.
The Sporting News cannot independently verify Direct Action Everywhere's claims.
Their methods have been disruptive to say the least. Three of Minnesota’s postseason games were halted mid-game due to a DxE protest. Here’s how each of those protests went.
NBA Play-In Protest: Timberwolves vs. Clippers
In the second quarter of Timberwolves’ Play-in win over the Clippers, the game had to be stopped because a woman glued herself to the court. That’s right, she glued herself to the court.
The woman, Alicia Santurio, a Bay Area member of DxE, glued herself to the court while wearing a t-shirt that read in big letters, “GLEN TAYLOR ROASTS ANIMALS ALIVE.”
Santurio was quickly yanked off the court by security and police. She wasn’t arrested but did receive a citation that banned her from the Target Center for a full year.
DxE immediately took responsibility for Santurio’s protest and used the opportunity to debut their investigation through a press release.
It became a viral moment, spawning #GlueGirl jokes and memes that DxE believes helped to raise awareness.
“This is an issue no one talks about and now it has a lot of attention on it,” Says Santurio. “We have to get our message out there and the jokes help propel it.”
Game 2 Protest: Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies in Memphis
DxE continued to try and raise awareness about their investigation in Minnesota’s Game 2 victory at FedEx Forum in Memphis.
During the second quarter, a DxE organizer named Zoe Rosenberg chained herself to the basket stanchion while wearing the same “GLEN TAYLOR ROASTS ANIMALS” shirt Santurio wore. The game was stopped for several minutes as arena security worked at cutting the chain. Once they did, Rosenberg was expediently brought away.
Rosenberg was arrested and later released from police custody. She faces charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct.
But just like with the first protest, this one became viral. Rosenberg became known as Chain Lady on social media and DxE immediately took responsibility for her actions.
Proud to be #ChainGirl. Protesting can be scary, but being silent and continuing to live in a world where animals are abused and killed is even scarier. #Timberwolves #NBAPlayoffs #ChainLady #GlenTaylor pic.twitter.com/DE7hKIukzA
— Zoe Rosenberg (@Zoe_Rooster) April 17, 2022
“The NBA is no place for abusive factory farmers,” DxE said in a press release. “[We’re] asking that the sale of the team -- set to transfer majority ownership to baseball hall-of-famer Alex Rodriquez and businessman Marc Lore in 2023 -- be expedited, with Taylor immediately stepping down from day-to-day operations. The group is also requesting that Taylor -- Minnesota’s wealthiest person -- donate the $11.3 million in federal subsidies he received in relation to a separate HPAI outbreak in 2015 to public health charities and animal sanctuaries.”
Game 3 Attempted Protest: Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies in Minneapolis
Emboldened by their previous protests, DxE attempted to up the ante even more once the series shifted back to Minneapolis.
The plan? DxE investigator Matt Johnson would dress up like an NBA ref and attempt to “eject” Taylor from the game.
An ambitious goal but not for Johnson. He once appeared on Fox Business in 2020 and posed as the CEO of Smithfield Food, one of the world’s largest pork producers, in order to talk about how the company is a “serious threat in effectively bringing on the next pandemic.”
Johnson, however, didn’t even get near the court. Security and police at the Target Center quickly apprehended him. He was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge and later released from jail.
Via DxE, here is video of Johnson’s unsuccessful attempt:
Game 4 Attempted Protest: Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies in Minneapolis
Undeterred by Johnson’s failed effort, DxE attempted to try the ref-themed protest again in Minnesota's Game 4 win.
This time, the group purchased two seats behind Taylor’s courtside seats and in the third quarter, DxE activist Sasha Zemmel attempted to “eject” from the game while wearing a “makeshift” referee outfit that “had the jersey number 5.3 displayed on the back, in honor of the 5.3 million chickens killed at Rembrandt.”
Zemmel got on the court for a brief second but was quickly tackled by a security guard. The game was stopped briefly as she was taken away.
A second DxE activist, Ashley Riddle, was filming Zemmel’s attempt and was also removed from the game. Here is that video from DxE:
Will DxE ever stop?
With the heightened security presence and failed attempts, it seems almost impossible for DxE to pull off another successful protest.
Plus during Zemmel’s attempted protest in Game 4, fans at the Target Center were loudly booing as they became fed up with the group's effort to disrupt the game. Once supportive social media posts turned negative as well. The novelty of their protests may be wearing thin, something which DxE acknowledges.
“There's definitely a very loud minority who are getting sick of the protests,” Says Johnson via text. “[But] I think more commonly, ordinary observers have feelings of intrigue, support, amusement and in general, support free speech.
“It’s definitely a challenge to both get substantial attention and effectively to leverage that attention to convey our message. It feels like with three big protests, it’s officially a ‘campaign’ to really justify people giving a deeper look.”
What's been Glen Taylor's reaction?
Rembrandt Enterprises, Taylor and the Timberwolves have yet to comment on the situation.
