Story Published:
Jun 13, 2004 at 7:46 AM PDT
Story Updated:
Aug 31, 2006 at 1:30 AM PDT
SEATTLE - A group of between 50 and 60 naked bicyclists
took to the streets of Seattle on Saturday, and a few were seen in
Olympia, police said.
The event was a protest but it was not immediately clear whether
it was linked to a radical environmentalist group known as the
Earth Liberation Front.
Protesters in Seattle said that they were
protesting the use of cars, which increases pollution.
Seattle police received no complaints and made no arrests, said
police spokesman Sean Whitcomb. "We monitored the event from a
distance," he said.
Police in Olympia received a report of a few naked bicyclists
Saturday, but by the time officers found them, they were clothed,
said Lt. Steve Oderman. The riders didn't identify themselves as
members of any group, he said.
The FBI on Friday warned law enforcement agencies across the
country that radical environmentalists might be staging protests
this weekend to show their support for a jailed arsonist.
The FBI bulletin said the Earth Liberation Front reportedly was
planning a "day of action and solidarity" that could include acts
of eco-terrorism, according to Tor Bjornstad, a police commander in
Olympia, one of the cities mentioned as a likely target.
ELF has been linked to fires and vandalism at agriculture
research labs, logging operations, car dealerships and construction
sites. The group has defended its actions as efforts aimed at
stopping companies from profiting from exploitation of the
environment.
A web site titled "International Day of Action & Solidarity
with Jeff 'Free' Luers" featured a list of events planned for
Saturday, from protests at SUV dealerships to a naked bike ride in
Olympia.
Jeff Luers is an environmental activist serving a 22-year
sentence in Oregon for a 2000 arson at an auto dealership and an
attempted arson at an oil company.
A "World Naked Bike Ride" web site, linked to the
"International Day" site, listed events in Seattle and Olympia
organized by many different groups, connected only by their
determination to be "nekkid" on their bikes.
An e-mail sent by The Associated Press to the ELF was not
immediately returned. The shadowy group only accepts interview
requests via e-mail. Other e-mails sent to the "International
Day" and "World Naked Bike Ride" sites were also not immediately
returned.
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