EAST LANSING -- A not-so festive mood on the opening night of the circus.

"We're trying to expose the cruelty that goes on behind the 'big top,'" said Kate Brindle, a protester who gathered in front of the Breslin Center the opening night of the Royal Hanneford's run at the Breslin Center.

"The students don't want it here," said Mitch Goldsmith, a fellow rallier and president of Students Promoting Animal Rights -- or SPAR. "And we don't want this kind of behavior condoned by our university."

The group of quiet protesters wasn't quite the crowd that showed up two years ago -- the last time Hanneford showed up at Michigan State University.

Spring break ate into SPAR's numbers this time around, but the message remained the same: The circus is in town, and these folks don't like it.

"They employ Tim Frisco, who is an elephant trainer for their circus, who was previously caught on tape during a training session beating animals with bullhooks and electric prods," Goldsmith said.

He's citing a controversial 1999 video -- allegedly of Frisco -- in which he tells his fellow trainers to beat the elephants and, "Make them scream."

Circus officials, for their part, say they're in compliance with federal regulations and maintain a license from the United States Department of Agriculture.

"That's their right; this is America," said Ed Purchase, with the Caravan Circus. "We would hope that if the general public wants a circus like this to continue with animals, that they would vote with their feet."

But these protesters say the USDA has cited Royal Hanneford dozens of times for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Bottom line: They want the circus out of East Lansing.

"That's why we're out here today," Goldsmith said. "To raise awareness, and to ask the university to ban animal circuses."