PETA thought it was promoting peace by pushing veganism in Detroit.

Activist Sam Riddle says think again.

A day after PETA announced a go-vegan billboard campaign for Detroit, Riddle blasted the animal right's group, calling it racist for picking on Detroit's eating habits and crime problem, and suggesting that a vegan diet can fix Detroit's ills.

"Detroit may be America's fattest and most violent city, but to attribute that to us not eating our veggies is racist BS," said Riddle, political director of the Michigan National Action Network.

Riddle accused PETA of behaving " like a racist hate group " with its billboard campaign that the organization said is designed to grow peace and slim down Detroit with a vegan diet.

Riddle said PETA fails to recognize that Detroit is one of the poorest and most segregated cities in the U.S., which, he said, explains the Detroiter's unhealthy diet.

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"If PETA wants Detroit to improve our diet; PETA must address the historic roots of why we eat like we eat," said Riddle, claiming "PETA ... would have us growing some damn carrots instead of growing jobs and good schools to combat crime and poverty."

Riddle's comments come one day after PETA announced a billboard campaign in Detroit that encourages Detroit to go vegan as a way to grow peace and become healthier. The group said it announced the campaign after newly released FBI data listed Detroit as the most violent city in America.

PETA took offense to the racism allegation -- calling it "hate speech" and "mean-spiritedness" -- and issued this statement:

"At PETA, we combat hate speech like this with pleas for compassion for each other," the statement read. "We live by the principle of nonviolence, and since our inception, we have opposed all discrimination—but sadly, some of those who appeal for understanding are not always understanding themselves."

The group then explained the billboard campaign.

"Many of us feel relatively powerless in the face of violence, and choosing vegan meals is one way that each of us can make the world a kinder and more peaceful place. The "Peace in Our Lunchtime" billboards will go up in cities across the country, starting with Detroit because of its struggle to end violence, something everyone can do at breakfast. Instead of slamming those who work for nonviolence in their own way and hurling an accusation of racism at them—without even knowing what race they are—wouldn't it be much better to embrace them as fellow activists?"

PETA also noted that Detroit has been climbing up the Fattest Cities chart, too — it was labeled the unhealthiest big city in the U.S. in one February survey — and could benefit from a vegan diet.

The billboards, which have not yet gone up across the city, feature a black fist clutching a bunch of carrots next to the words "Peace in Our Lunchtime!" and "Choose Peace. Choose Vegan."

PETA campaign manager Katerina Davidovich stressed that the group is not picking on Detroit and has run similar campaigns in other cities, too. For example:

In July, after Jackson, Miss., was named the fattest city in the country, PETA sent a letter to the mayor and challenged him to go vegan for 30 days. He accepted the challenge, and even extended it to Gov. Phil Bryan as a way to bring attention to the lack of education and accessibility to healthy foods in Mississippi.

On Sept. 21 in South Carolina, PETA placed a billboard in the city of Orangeburg to encourage folks to go vegan after a truck carrying live chickens crashed.

*In March, PETA placed a billboard in Clearfield, Utah urging residents to keep their cats indoors after a missing cat came home with extensive injuries, including broken ribs and hot glue burns on his eyes.

As for the Detroit billboard, Davidovich said because PETA believes its go-vegan message is tailor-made for a city like Detroit that struggles with crime and health problems. She said when PETA learned that Detroit had more murders than Los Angeles, which is six times larger than Detroit, "we thought Detroit would be a good place to encourage residents to choose peace, nonviolence and compassion."

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"Until we recognize that violence begets callousness, we’re going to be caught in a never-ending cycle of violence," Davidovich said.

Riddle isn't buying it, saying that "ignorant-ass billboard" won't fix anything.

And it's not like Detroiters are eating their greens, he said, noting: "We have gardens in Detroit because we can't afford PETA-recommended tofu."

ContactTresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Freepress.com.