Protesters at Bills-Rams Season Opener Interrupt Game With Pink Smoke Bombs
One of the most interesting things happened during the NFL season opener between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. In the fourth quarter of the game, a pair of protesters went on the field with pink smoke bombs. NFL fans watching the game on television just saw one smoke bomb, but the fans inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles the two protesters run away until they were taken down by security, according to Yahoo Sports.
The activist group Direct Action Everywhere said it was responsible for the protest and identified the two women as Emek Echo and Katia Shokrai. The protester wore shirts that read "RightToRescue.com," which is a website that claims to be raising awareness for whistleblowers facing prison time for exposing farm abuses. In a press release, Direct Action Everywhere said it's focusing on an upcoming trail of whistleblowers that raised the alarm against Smithfield Foods.
Things getting weird on the field in LA. pic.twitter.com/t7pJFVK2N5
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) September 9, 2022
Following the protest, the Bills went on to defeat the Rams 31-10. It was a surprising win for the Bills as the Rams came into the game as the defending Super Bowl champions. However, the Bills are one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LVII, which will be played in February.
This was unexpected.
— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) September 9, 2022
Two women run on to the @RamsNFL stadium field with pink smoke bombs. They are quickly tackled by security. We can all smell the smoke.
The women’s shirts indicate they’re from a group protesting whistleblowers facing prison time for factory farm abuses. pic.twitter.com/KgSA4rwEB1
"We needed to put our best foot forward, try to execute the way we know we can execute, and just try to win a game that's all," Bills quarterback Josh Allen said, per the team's official website. "1-0 is our mindset each week, playoff caliber. That's what we're trying to do. That's what Coach McDermott preaches and that's what our mindset and mentality is every time we step in our facility."
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay blames himself for the loss. "When you look at a lot of the ways that this game unfolded, [I] feel a huge sense of responsibility to this team," McVay said, per ESPN. "We weren't ready to go. I take a lot of pride in that, and that's on me. I've got to do better. There were a lot of decisions that I made that I felt like didn't put our players in good enough spots. "So it was a humbling experience, but we're going to stay connected. We're going to all look inward. We're going to do a better job moving forward."