A Sea World dolphin attraction turned ugly over the weekend when protesters stormed the area holding signs decrying animal captivity.
Campaign group Justice for Captives targeted several amusement parks that feature animals, according to Australian media.
Tensions were particularly high at the Gold Coast Sea World on Saturday when the crowd starting booing the protesters.
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In a video posted to the campaign group's Facebook page, protesters can be seen entering one of the theme park's dolphin attractions holding signs with large letters that read, 'Captivity is Cruelty'.
Some of the protesters were escorted from the premises, but the remaining few who weren't then jumped into the water in front of where the audience members were seated, News.com.au reports.
Members of the audience booed the protesters, and one protester allegedly yelled back at the crowd, "You're ruining those dolphins' lives".
One protester alleged she was assaulted by a staff member, while other members of the group said they were mistreated by police when the authorities arrived at the scene.
"We're very pleased with how we've conducted ourselves ... and we're being sworn at by people with children," said the woman who claims to have been assaulted.
The group targeted other attractions on the Gold Coast including Dreamworld on Saturday, and Village Roadshow's Outback Spectacular show on Saturday night which features Australian animals.
The protesters have defended their actions, but others on social media pointed to Dreamworld's successful breeding programme for the highly endangered greater bilby and called for the group to take their protests elsewhere.
"You all clearly have passion, why not channel it more productively?" wrote one person on Facebook, suggesting the protesters target "the people responsible for destroying natural habit and/or poaching animals in the wild".
Another wrote, "You are saying look at them carrying on in front of their children. Look at what you have just shown ... you are not heroes. Go and lobby the government. You are entering premises by false pretence and traumatising people in the audience."
Sea World says it has "world class exhibits" for dolphins including "some of the largest filtered natural sandy bottom lagoons in the world". And some of the theme park's dolphins have been rescued from net entanglements and beach strandings.
But campaign group Whales and Dolphin Conservation says whales and dolphins live in "complex societies" and should never be separated from their families and homes and "confined for human entertainment".
Five of the Justice for Captives protesters were arrested and charged by police, each receiving a AU$780 (NZ$823) infringement notice.
Newshub.
