Boardwalk Wood Protesters Have Already Lost It

The city council of Ocean City, New Jersey, voted earlier this year to buy Brazilian ipe wood that was certified Logged Friendly™ (or whatever) because of protests from environmentalists. After doing so, of course, what Ocean City got was lots and lots of protests from environmentalists.

Now Ocean City’s city council wants out of the deal. But, whoops!, they already bought the wood, and the mayor says if they pull out of the deal other vendors will be unable to trust the city and suddenly Mack’s won’t have any flour. So the Brazilian wood is coming in, costing $1.1 million to repair a block-long section of boardwalk. And protesters are ready with their over-the-top similes :

That has protesters like Georgina Shanley vowing to do whatever it takes to stop the plan. “We are considering stopping it physically from coming into Ocean City by standing in the middle of the road like that young man in Tiananmen Square in front of the tank,” she said. “It has to be stopped.”

Ahh, yes, it’s just like that, only without the chances an oppressive government will literally crush you into pieces with a giant tank. And we’ll know who you are, and you’ll be in a mob instead of just one person. Pretty much the same thing as Tiananmen Square, then.

Boardwalk plans set off huge protest [AP/The Courier-Post]