Protestors use downtown building to send a message to Ford

The Detroit Free Press ^ | June 4, 2003 | BY MEGAN CHRISTENSEN

[Portnoy]

Environmental protesters sent a 50-foot anniversary card to Ford Motor Company Wednesday.

At 10 a.m., two climbers unfurled a banner proclaiming that ``Ford is Driving America's Oil Addiction`` from the 13-story Griswold Building in downtown Detroit.

Suze Bono, 21, and Matt Leonard, 24, descended from the roof of the Griswold and the neighboring Wingate Apartments to hang the sign, then refused to surrender voluntarily to police.

Described as experienced amateur climbers, the pair hung suspended from cables for nearly two hours until they surrendered.

Police arrested the pair along with three other group members who helped them.

Michael Brune, director of the Rainforest Action Network, watched from across the street and said the group planned the protest to ``jump-start Ford and get them to catch up with their promises.''

The San Fransisco-based group has launched a broader campaign to pressure Ford to produce more earth-friendly products. In a press release, they threatened more disruptions and protests during the auto company's centennial celebration.

``The closer you look at Ford's environmental record, the more people feel betrayed by Bill Ford personally,'' he said, referring to the automaker's CEO, who often has expressed sympathy with the environmental movement.

The Griswold Building houses United Way headquarters. Spokeswoman Linda Remington said her organization was outraged. ``What angers us is that this group has chosen to involve the United Way in its politics. We are in no way connected.``

[sirshackleton]

Just had an emissions test done on my Focus the other day. Was pretty handily below all the requirements.

[Paul Atreides]

The San Fransisco-based group has launched a broader campaign to pressure Ford to produce more earth-friendly products. In a press release, they threatened more disruptions and protests during the auto company's centennial celebration.

I have a better idea: Why doesn't this San Francisco-based group of Socialists contact several like-minded millionaires and billionaires, form their own eco-friendly auto manufacturing company, and peddle their product on the free market? Oh, I forgot, the only thing the lazy whiners can muster up the energy to do is protest.

[Salman]

Unlike old-fashioned socialists, the enviros gripe against capitalism is that the means of production exist at all.