DATE: Saturday, November 29, 1997           TAG: 9711290185

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   64 lines

PETA PROTESTERS GET BARE FOR THEIR BELIEFS

PETA protesters outside a local furrier dropped their drawers but not their guard Friday, hoping to attract attention to their annual Fur Free Friday campaign.

The event marked the animal rights group's first naked protest in Hampton Roads, but it was tamer than most and didn't involve any arrests for public nudity as has happened in other cities.

That's because the four women and two men who stood unclothed outside Lowenthal Furriers on Virginia Beach Boulevard at noon held two long banners firmly around their midsections.

Passers-by saw the words ``We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur'' draped across the protesters, all employees of the Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

``It's kind of tough to move, but the weather's been very terrific,'' said Ricardo Garcia, who was holding one end of the banner.

``We're trying to give a message to the people - we're doing it for our cause.''

Melynda Duval, holding up the middle, smiled broadly when asked if she was cold.

``We're cold, but it's nothing compared to what the animals on fur farms go through,'' she said.

Lowenthal Furriers is so used to being the target of animal rights groups on Fur-Free Friday - held annually on the day after Thanksgiving - that president Hugh Vaughan even came out and took pictures of the group. In the last 10 years, he said, animal rights groups have protested at his store about two dozen times. This was the third time this year for PETA.

``It's like a little party,'' he said with a chuckle. ``We generally find it to be an enhancement. It's free publicity.

``We always request that the police be here because we want us and them, too, to be protected,'' he added.

``We have an agreement to a disagreement.''

Several cars slowed down to gape at the enthusiastic protesters, generating angry blares and sudden stops from other vehicles.

Some people, like Bill Harrill, drove into a neighboring parking lot and got out to watch the protest.

``I just stopped to let him see freedom of speech in action,'' said Harrill, pointing to his 8-year-old son, William III, who was standing in front of his father.

``This is kind of like a joke. It's not going to influence me from wearing a leather belt or leather running shoes.''

His son, squinting against the sun, turned to his father with a dubious gaze and summed up his feelings succinctly.

``I think it's dumb,'' he said.

It may be a questionable practice to him and others, but to PETA, nothing is more effective.

``The intent of going naked is to draw attention,'' said Bruce Friedrich, coordinator of the international grass-roots campaign.

``Far more people wanted to protest than we could fit behind the banner.'' ILLUSTRATION: With a banner covering all the naughty bits,

six PETA employees took their annual Fur-Free Friday protest to

Lowenthal Furriers in Virginia Beach. From left are Ricardo Garcia,

Shannon Piercy, Melynda Duval, Stephany Marreel, Amie Richards and

Robert English.

LAWRENCE JACKSON

The Virginian-Pilot

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