Demonstrators loudly questioned what it means to be patriotic Thursday, biking to Bergstrom HUMMER of Madison, 1200 Applegate Rd., to protest the sale of HUMMER brand vehicles.
The protesters left Library Mall late Thursday afternoon on bicycle and continued to Bergstrom HUMMER. Once there, the group of approximately three dozen people held up signs and a large banner saying \HUMMERs Drive U.S. to War"" to commuters along the Beltline, which runs in front of the dealership.
""We're using Earth Day as a way to raise awareness about the most uneconomical and least Earth-friendly vehicle there is,"" protester Diane Farsetta of Women for Peace said. Farsetta continued to say that vehicles like the HUMMER increase U.S. reliance on foreign oil, embroiling the U.S. in overseas conflict and damaging the environment.
""You can't have peace if everyone's with these big cars, wasting gas and not caring about the environment,"" fellow Women for Peace member Margaret Dunn added. ""Peace encompasses more than just ending the war.""
Although Bergstrom HUMMER declined to comment on the situation, numerous Beltline commuters let their response to the protest be known by shouting obscenities and gesturing angrily at those gathered.
John Peck, a local activist and organizer of the event, attracted special attention by wearing a cow costume.
""I wanted to make sure no one questioned my loyalty to my country or this fine state,"" he said. Peck added the large size of HUMMERs on the road made biking and other forms of Earth-friendly transportation difficult, and claimed the tax breaks given to HUMMER purchasers were outrageous.
The dealership itself, which prominently displayed several large American flags, also drew comment from Peck.
""They're hyping it as some huge patriotic thing,"" he said. ""But [buying a HUMMER] is one of the most unpatriotic things you could do.""
The group also solicited much attention en route to the dealership as it frequently blocked traffic.
""I'm really happy we biked out here,"" Farsetta said. ""We made some people in cars angry, but sometimes you have to do that ... to make people reevaluate what's going on.""
Other Women in Pink chapters across the country also held protests at their local HUMMER dealerships.
