Activists erect 15-foot-tall Jeff Bezos head on roof of San Francisco Whole Foods

In a photo provided by animal rights activists with Direct Action Everywhere, the group is shown shutting down a Whole Foods store on 24th Street in San Francisco's Noe Valley. The protests are asking for a response from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos regarding the undercover investigations the group claims have revealed cruel conditions at farms selling products marketed as “free range” and “humane.” less In a photo provided by animal rights activists with Direct Action Everywhere, the group is shown shutting down a Whole Foods store on 24th Street in San Francisco's Noe Valley. The protests are asking for a ... more Photo: Direct Action Everywhere Photo: Direct Action Everywhere Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Activists erect 15-foot-tall Jeff Bezos head on roof of San Francisco Whole Foods 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

A 15-foot-tall cutout of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' head towered above the roof of the Whole Food Store in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood on Monday morning. A speech bubble reading "I profit from criminal animal cruelty" was attached to the Bezos likeness.

The antic was part of a protest by an animals rights group claiming undercover investigations have found cruel conditions at California farms selling products marketed as "free range" and "humane."

According to one of the activists, a group of 150 people representing the Oakland-based nonprofit Direct Action Everywhere gathered outside the store that was forced to close after people stood chained together blocking the doors. Some demonstrators held Bezos masks over their faces. The protest is expected to continue through the day.

Whole Foods responded to the incident with a statement saying the group's "repeated" targeting "jeopardizes the safety" of Whole Foods customers and staff.

"We respect everyone's right to voice their opinion, but our responsibility is to provide a safe environment for our customers and our Team Members," the statement reads.

The Amazon-owned company added its stores aim to "provide transparency in animal welfare" and uses third-party certifiers such as Global Animal Partnership to perform farm audits.

ALSO: 'It's spectacular': Climate activists paint stunning mural on two blocks of Montgomery St.

Recent UC Berkeley graduate Cassie King was among the activists at the store on 24th Street, and she says she will consider the protest a success if Bezos says Whole Foods and Amazon are buying from farms with conditions Direct Action considers cruel.

"We're here today asking Jeff Bezos to disavow the prosecution of whistleblowers and to support the right to rescue animals who are suffering inside factory farms," says King, who claims to face eight felonies in her efforts to expose animal cruelty at farms and rescue animals.

A half-dozen activists also chained themselves together inside the Amazon office in S.F.'s Financial District. Former "Baywatch" actress Alexandra Paul is among the protestors.

Direct Action Everywhere says it uses creative nonviolent protest to fight for animal rights. They're known for peacefully flash-mobbing restaurants with one activist leading the charge, announcing their arrival and then delivering a heartfelt story about a particular animal.

Amazon operates 500 Whole Foods stores in North America and the United Kingdom.

Amy Graff is a digital editor at SFGATE. Email her story tips at agraff@sfgate.com.