F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Confronted By PETA Supporters In Uncomfortable Moment
Lewis Hamilton has been confronted by PETA supporters during an appearance alongside Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff at the Forbes Iconoclast Summit.
As Hamilton was in the middle of speaking, a woman from the crowd interrupted the event calling for the seven-time F1 champion to use his platform to share his support for PETA as well as encouraging Liberty Media to cut ties with Iditarod.
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a dog sled race which is held annually. The protestor pointed out to Hamilton that over 150 dogs have died from the event. They chose to target the British driver by tugging on his heart-strings and linking it to his dog Roscoe.
They shouted:
"Lewis, I love you and respect you, and I know that your companionship with your dog demonstrates the love you have for animals.
"I beg you, please. We are begging you, please. We know that you don't want dogs to suffer.
"The Iditarod does that. The Iditarod has a long-standing history, long and tragic history."
Wolff tries to calm the protestor down by saying, "you have the right message but..." before being cut off again. The protestor continues to plead Hamilton to encourage Liberty Media to cut ties with the Iditarod dog sled race.
Fans were quick to react to the moment. One commented that they felt the sentiment was right but the setting was wrong. They wrote:
"I know the message is right, but doing it like this is so disrespectful and embarrassing, man"
Another fan agreed that they felt the argument was correct but was executed in the wrong way. They responded:
"I think it's a valid point to bring up, considering F1 has ties to Iditarod, and Lewis is the face of the sport. But I'm not sure cornering him like this, sounding like a demanding harridan is the way to go. These people thrive on their feelings of moral superiority like damn."