TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie gather outside One Government Center on Friday in protest over the condition of our water.
Protesters poured a pitcher of water and dead fish from the lake into the fountain outside of One Government, urging the mayor and council members to declare the watershed "impaired".
"We're supposed to be the stewards who protect Lake Erie. Instead, Toledo's political leadership has its collective head buried in the mud. We must speak out for the lake and its inhabitants literally dying for us to do something," said Mike Ferner, ACLE coordinator.
Ferner says city officials are in denial about the lake.
"Since the algae bloom visited us on our door the past few days instead of just being out there on the lake, it's made it a lot more visible. We've come up here right in their face at Government Center to say, 'we're putting some of the lake into this fountain," Ferner said.
Protesters are urging voters "not to vote for incumbent city officials" in November and "wipe the slate clean."
