When 20 animal rights activists invaded a Brighton steakhouse earlier this week, armed with signs, chanting and playing horrific audio recordings of animals being slaughtered, diners got more than they bargained for along with their steak dinners.

But before the protesters - members of Direct Action Everywhere - took their screams of dying animals to Brighton, they rolled around in POO!

7 One Direct Action protester decided to cover herself in animal poop

Founded by ex-lawyer Wayne Hsiung in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013, Direct Action Everywhere is a radical animal rights organisation that relies on shock tactics to intimidate others into conforming to their beliefs.

The organisation - who has 288,000 Facebook followers - has since spread to have cells in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.

Accused of institutional sexism, racism and homophobia, the group has been slammed by both vegans and non-vegans alike for a "cult-like" culture where sexual predators are harboured and racist jokes are par for the course.

The group denies the claims.

Founder Hsiung has previously been indicted on multiple felony charges, including burglary, theft of livestock, and engaging in a pattern of illegal activity, and a misdemeanour riot charge, and has been accused of creating a cult-like community.

7 The extreme tactics of the animal rights group include covering themselves in faeces and lying naked in plastic Credit: Facebook/Direct Action Everywhere Toronto

The Brighton Steakhouse incident is only the most recent disruption in a string of outrageous incidents. Here are some of their most outrageous incidents before storming the Brighton steakhouse.

Stag do lads moo and chant 'stand up up if you love meat' after vegan protesters storm steakhouse

Smearing themselves in animal poo

In March this year, a vegan activist covered herself in animal faeces and lay down on a carpet of excrement, surrounded by blood splashed egg boxes, outside a Trader Joe’s store in Berkley, California.

The student, Cassie King, was protesting the conditions at farms that supply eggs to Trader Joe’s, as a recent investigation allegedly found starving chickens living in their own waste at a farm in Michigan.

Splattering eggs with blood and waving smoke bombs

Supermarket visits aren’t a pleasant experience if you’re unlucky enough to run into some vocal Direct Action Everywhere members.

7 Protesters waved smoke bombs outside a Toronto gorcery store Credit: Facebook/Direct Action Everywhere Toronto

When inside supermarkets, the group splatter eggs with fake blood, chant and sing, wield signs showing graphic pictures of animal cruelty, and act out violent scenes of animal slaughter in front of hapless and confused customers.

Last month, a Toronto grocery store was overrun with masked activists armed with smoke bombs.

In October, a California branch of Whole Foods issued a restraining order against the group, as their disruptive tactics could potentially frighten customers.

7 One family business was targeted with a harassment campaign that lasted for months Credit: Facebook/Direct Action Everywhere Toronto

Naked protesters bullying a family business

For months on end, nearly naked protesters lay on the ground, dripping with fake blood and wrapped in plastic.

Protesters staged distressing weekly rallies, hoisting graphic signs in the air, while the screams of pigs being slaughtered played in the background.

The target? Not a McDonald's or a slaughterhouse, but a family run butcher shop in California.

The group refused to leave until the business either stopped selling meat or put up a sign saying "killing animals is violent and unjust".

After months of harassment, the owners finally capitulated to protesters’ demands and put an animals rights sign in their store window.

Co-owner Monica Rocchino called Direct Action Everywhere's tactics "extremist" and “ethical extortion”.

She said, “To be threatened and forced to abide by their beliefs just makes me sad.”

7 The Touro Steakhouse in Brighton is not the first restaurant that DeX have stormed Credit: Facebook/Direct Action Everywhere Toronto

Screaming and yelling while people try to eat

The Brighton steakhouse incident is not the first time that Direct Action Everywhere have wrecked customers' dining experience.

They also invaded Chez Panisse, a highly regarded US restaurant, where an employee said that protesters were "screaming and yelling" and refused to leave.

Alice Walker, renowned chef and Chez Panisse’s proprietor, called the protest an “outrage”.

However, Matthew Mckeefry, an organiser for Direct Action Everywhere told Sun Online: "We need to think about who the real victims are here."

Mckeerfry went on to say that he didn't think the group's tactics were extreme, and outlined what he called the problem of “speciesism” and say that human lives are no more valuable than those of pigs or dogs.

7 Over 50 members have been arrested on felony charges Credit: Facebook/Direct Action Everywhere Toronto

Stealing turkeys

In May, six group members including co-founder Wayne Hsiung were arrested for stealing live turkeys, and charged with felony burglary.

More than 200 activists also invaded the McCoy’s Poultry farm, which protesters claimed supplied chickens to Amazon, in September. They set up tents as “medical centres” to care for sick animals.

7 Founder Wayne Hsiung has been accused of creating a cult Credit: Twitter/Wayne Hsiung

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At least 58 DxE, as they're known, members were arrested and charged with felony burglary, felony conspiracy and trespassing.

A farm spokesperson accused the protesters of causing physical violence to the farmer, traumatising chickens and introducing disease to the animals.