Climate protesters said they wanted "to condemn the pollution of the environment and the poisoning of residents by the chemical compounds produced by the industrial site".
ADVERTISEMENTActivists linked to the climate movement Extinction Rebellion broke into a chemical plant near Lyon in France on Saturday.
The multinational giant, Arkema, owns the factory.
The collective claimed hundreds of activists entered the premises.
The activists graffitied the site, destroyed fences, and scaled buildings. They claim they did this to bring awareness to the plant's alleged polluting of the local area with chemical waste.
Extremely high levels of non-biodegradable substances have been detected in the area.
"We are here to stand against the air, water and baby powder polluted with chemicals and France hasn't done anything about it," said Tom, a group member.
Police arrived at the scene and several activists were placed in custody.
This form of illegal protest is similar to more radical actions such as the throwing of paint or other materials at artworks recently seen across Europe.