Roughly 1,000 animal welfare activists who were attempting to enter a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin on Saturday were pushed back by law enforcement.

Law enforcement deployed rubber bullets and pepper spray and took the group’s leader into custody.

The confrontation was the second effort in recent weeks by protesters trying to remove dogs from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, which is a community located about 25 miles southwest of Madison.

Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement that between 300 and 400 demonstrators were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. 

He added that protesters disregarded designated areas for lawful assembly and blocked roadways, hindering access for emergency responders.

“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said, according to CBS News.

Authorities described the number of arrests as “significant” but did not provide an exact number, noting that processing was still taking place as of Saturday afternoon.