Naked bicyclists ride in protest

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 told KING-TV News 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.