Watch: Chaos erupts as PETA activists disrupt Shriners meeting

Two PETA protesters who were arrested after they disrupted a December 21 meeting of the Moolah Shriners in St. Louis say they plan to sue for assault, the Riverfront Times reports.

Sasha Monik, 32, and Kyle Mayberry, 40, were each charged with misdemeanors of disturbing the peace and trespassing after Monik barged into the meeting wearing Santa Claus costumes, saying the Shriners would be getting coal for Christmas for "abusing animals in your circus." Mayberry recorded the incident on video.

As the Riverfront Times point out, the Shriners "run the Moolah Shrine Circus, a longtime PETA target for its use of elephants. It's one of the few remaining circuses around the U.S. that still uses the pachyderms, and PETA charges that they're held in small crates and 'kept in shackles.'"

The Shriners are an organization of Freemasons who are committed to philanthropy. They maintain a network of 22 hospitals dedicated to providing medical care to children at no cost to families.

At one point the video, Shriners members can be seen pushing the pair out of the room while Mayberry can be heard saying, "Do not touch me, that is assault!"

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In a statement, PETA alleges, "One Shriner reportedly put Monik in a chokehold, twisted her arm, and held her against a wall while three or more of them threw Mayberry to the ground, ripping his clothing, and pinned him down. One Shriner kneeled on his back, and another stepped on his hand."

Watch the video below or at this link.