PETA Protester Strip(e)s for Cause

Things get wild in an animal rights protest downtown

A caged, nearly naked and tiger-striped PETA protester popped up on a downtown corner Friday, protesting an upcoming appearance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in San Diego.

Above Melissa Seghal's cage, which was stationed on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Broadway, was a sign reading, β€œWild Animals Don’t Belong Behind Bars.”  The protest, sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was focused on the circus shows at the Sports Arena that begin on Aug. 5.
 
The San Diego protest was the second in as many days for the animal-rights activist organization -- on Thursday, they were in Anaheim, Calif.
 
"I'll gladly bare my skin if it will help expose Ringling's abusive treatment of animals," Seghal said in a news release. "The best way to stop this abuse is for people to boycott Ringling and other circuses that use animals."
 
When the animals are not performing, they are confined to cages that are only just large enough to fit them, according to PETA.
 
Circus officials have said PETA represents an extreme viewpoint, the Orange County Register reported. The newspaper reported that circus owner Ken Feld is running newspaper ads that claim PETA's viewpoints are unfounded.

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