Baring Our Skins for Theirs. Two women ran onto the field before 27,000 fans in the 57th minute of the Women's World Cup semifinal match between the United States and Germany with signs which read, "Boycott Adidas" and "Adidas Kills Kangaroos."

Don't click on the above image Ethel?

Kangaroo liberation. Sunday evening, Oct. 5, 2003. PORTLAND, Oregon. Activist Connie Durkee, Assistant Outreach Coordinator NW, and Meg Vogt, both of In Defense of Animals, calmly took their seats and waited in their snap-on clothes, hearts pounding, gripping their carefully concealed banners.

At what they felt was the oppurtune moment (They did not want to interfere with the game), they rushed onto the field, wearing nothing but sneakers, holding banners. What was it like? Did they feel a rush? Was it a thrill? According to them, the magic moment was one of reflectiuon: "World Cup fans were forced to pause for just one minute to consider a global issue that directly concerns the soccer world. Adidas is killing kangaroos for profit." Or more likely, I think the fans were thinking, "Hey wow! Naked women. Maybe not the best looking, but so what? Woo hoo!" The two activist were taken off the field by security.

Adidas is the World Cup sponsor and the protest was aimed at the use of kangaroo skin in athletic shoes. Fans probabably found the banners distracting and would be hard pressed to recall what they said.

The women however were not able to loosen up and have fun: "After viewing videos of kangaroo slaughter, the only thing that seemed extreme to us was the senseless suffering and murder of kangaroos for a sports shoe."

I found on some web site, I can't remember where This quote: "How idiotic to protest against the use of 'roo' skin - my aussi friends tell me the population is way too large for available resources, and auto collisions (and related hospital expenses) are rising rapidly. I know of some naked women in Portland who desperately need clothing (and teams which need more soccer balls!) ."

Our humorless heros claim: "New scientific studies show that 90% of wheat fields never see a kangaroo and that they have little impact on grazing. Ranchers have built miles of fencing to keep the dingoes from their sheep. This fencing interferes with natural selection keeping the dingoes from the kangaroos which contributes to their overpopulation. (Dingoes are not native to Australia) Once again, greed and lack of foresight causes imbalance and destruction.

" Synthetic alternative fabrics are readily available to replace the animal skin but Adidas coldly refuses to make the compassionate choice, in spite of public outcry asking them to stop the slaughter. This is why we seized the opportunity to reach potentially millions of viewers doing something we never have done or would've considered before. We were shocked into taking drastic measures to get the word out..." Strangest excuse I've ever heard. I say if you want to get bare in public follow the Nike motto, "Just do it."

The comentator said: "How ironic that naked women stage a public protest against adidas, in a game held in NIKE's back yard . . . "

They were charged with disorderly conduct and released. I am all in favor of activists organizations if they have women who streak in public. If you are a member of such an organization, and plan a streak. Let me know about it so that I can come watch.