Thousands of people joined hands along Florida beaches Sunday for the"Hands Along the Water"demonstration. They're calling for state leaders to stop future red tide outbreaks and to address releases of nutrient-laden water from Lake Okeechobee, which is contributing to thick blue-green algae conditions choking local waterways.
Scenes from yesterday’s #HandsAlongTheWater event on #sanibel causeway #redtide #algae pic.twitter.com/A3b8IqXhHF
— Julie Glenn (@julieglennradio) August 13, 2018
In Sanibel, dozens lined the southwest facing beach on island two of the causeway at 10 AM Sunday. Some protesters wore breathing masks to guard against inhaling red tide toxins.
The current red tide bloom along the Southwest Florida coast has persisted since last fall and has caused massive fish kills along with other dead marine life like dolphins, sea turtles and manatees washing ashore.
Sunday's event occurred on both the state's Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and stretched from St. Petersburg south through to Naples where the Naples Daily News reports some 500 demonstrators gathered.
In addition, the News-Press reports hundreds of people gathered for the "Death March" demonstration in downtown Fort Myers over the weekend. That event is also calling on leaders to address the current red tide and toxic blue-green algae bloom crisis.
