A small animal rights group in New Hampshire is suing the Free State Project over their use of the porcupine as their mascot. The group, which calls itself “Porcupine Protection,” claims that the Free State Project’s use of the porcupine is causing undue stress and harm to the real-life porcupine population in the state.
According to Bob Clegg, a Porcupine Protection lobbyist, the group has received numerous complaints from concerned citizens who have spotted porcupines roaming around the Free State Project’s headquarters in Manchester. ”
We believe that the constant presence of the Free State Project’s porcupine mascot is causing real-life porcupines to feel threatened and endangered,” Clegg said. “It’s a clear case of mascot appropriation, and it needs to stop.”
The Free State Project, a libertarian group dedicated to promoting freedom and limited government in New Hampshire, has refused to back down.
In a statement released on their website, the group said, “Their claims are baseless. Our use of the porcupine as a mascot is intended to represent the rugged independence and self-sufficiency that we believe in. We have no intention of causing harm to any actual porcupines.”
When asked for a comment, Free Stater Jeremy Kauffman, who ran for the U.S. Senate as a Libertarian in 2020, replied that this author could instead perform a sexual act on Kauffman insisting that The Granite Stater “print THAT you clowns.”
Many residents of New Hampshire are scratching their heads at the absurdity of the situation. “I mean, I get that people care about animals and stuff,” said one Concord resident. “But this seems like a bit of an overreaction. It’s just a mascot.”
Bill Marsh of Wolfeboro, a former Republican lawmaker who defected to the Democrats over the Free State’s influence on the Republican legislators said “it’s about time. These invaders think they can come to New Hampshire and change our way of life.
“Now they’re harming porcupines? It’s time someone put a stop to them once and for all.”
Porcupine Protection says they will continue to fight for the rights of New Hampshire’s porcupines. “We will not rest until the Free State Project removes their offensive mascot and takes responsibility for the harm they have caused to the porcupine population,” the spokesperson said.
As of now, it is unclear how the lawsuit will be resolved. But one thing is for sure: in New Hampshire, even the porcupines have lawyers.