Dallas police are investigating a case of assault that took place at an animal rights protest Sunday afternoon in North Oak Cliff, according to NBC 5 DFW.
Protesters were demanding answers about the disappearance of feral cats in the area, the news outlet said. They expressed concerns over the illegal baiting, trapping and relocation of cats. Lisa Dennis, one of the animal advocates at the protest, filed a police report after she said a neighbor approached the group yelling and pushed Dennis to the ground. Police were called to the scene at the intersection of North Oak Cliff Boulevard and Old Orchard Road.
“He just pushed me down, hard,” Dennis told NBC 5 DFW.
The encounter was captured on video. Dennis said she explained to the man that she and the other protesters were simply exercising their First Amendment right. After reaching for Dennis’ phone and using profane language, the man can be seen pushing her in the video. Dennis said she hurt her wrist and torso when she landed on the ground.
Although the man remains unidentified publicly, his partner has confronted the group in the past, Dennis said.
The protest ended prematurely after the incident, but the group is planning another protest for later this month.
