Westside : HAYDEN PETITION

The Santa Monica College Vegetarian Club launched a petition drive Tuesday to persuade Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to become a vegetarian.

“We think he’s a great guy who’s doing great things for the environment . . . but it’s almost impossible to be an environmentalist without being a vegetarian,” said Ryan Flegal, president of the club.

Flegal said the Santa Monica group is working with students at UC Berkeley, UCLA and USC to circulate the petition and gather signatures. So far, Flegal said, more than 100 people have signed.

Responding in a prepared statement to the petition, Hayden said: “I am not a pure vegetarian, but I am one of the leading opponents of the cattle-ranching and agribusiness special interest groups in California.”