Animal rights activists disrupt Bernie Sanders rally in Oakland

At least five animal rights activists on Monday rushed the stage as presidential candidate Bernie Sanders spoke at a rally in Oakland, video posted online showed.

The protesters were led away by several Secret Service agents before they were able to reach the Democrat, whose speech was briefly interrupted by the disturbance, a video posted by CNN showed.

A Secret Service agent rushed to Sanders' side, grabbed him and wrapped his arms around the presidential candidate during the ruckus.

"We don't get intimidated easily," said Sanders, as he resumed his speech.

Animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere claimed responsibility for the protest, saying in a statement that it hoped to persuade Sanders to take a tough stance against factory farms.

“Bernie Sanders claims to support the 'good' farms," activist Rachel Ziegler said in the statement. "But as our repeated investigations have shown, even the 'good' farms are horrific."

The organization posted a video online showing at least five protesters being led away by security personnel after they climbed onto the stage.

Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, is running far behind Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election.

In March, a man stormed the stage as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke in Vandalia, Ohio, before being held by several agents.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Michael Perry and Ralph Boulton)