Barefoot and armed with a preacher-like voice, Speech sophomore Jake Szymanski climbed atop The Rock on Friday afternoon and began by invoking Jesus Christ.

“Gorge yourself,” he demanded with a flourish of his finger-pointing hand. “Fill your stomachs, because other people can’t!”

Northwestern Student Television held a loud and food-filled mock protest against world hunger Friday at The Rock. Writers, actors and crew of the sketch comedy group stuffed themselves with baked goods, cereal and junk food donated by Panera Bread, 1700 Sherman Ave., and Zeta Beta Tau.

The group parodied the notion of holding hunger strikes to stop hunger by shouting phrases like “Eat to stop world hunger” and “Food is meant to be eaten.”

“We hope (people) get a laugh out of it and remember us next time,” Speech senior Max Shulman said.

Although the intent of the mockery was to evoke laughter, some said they were only confused by the event.

“They’re not making their message clear,” said Adam Forsyth, a Weinberg freshman. “It’s not very effective to throw boxes of cereal at people.”

Others found the joke offensive and even distasteful. International Socialist Organization activists, who had planned to set up a table in front of The Rock and ask people to sign a petition protecting civil liberties, said they understood the joke but thought it ill-timed.

“In this time when the U.S. is (involved) in the starvation of an entire nation, with the war, and with Ramadan, this is in poor taste,” said Phil Kaplan, an ISO member and Weinberg senior.

But NSTV head writer and Weinberg junior Dave Wiemer said the mock protest was not meant to coincide with the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started Friday. Many practicing Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown during Ramadan.

Although some members of the group said they were initially worried that the message of a anti-hunger strike would land them in troubled waters, it was the obscene language of one NSTV member that led to police scolding the group.

“We were protesting and I used an expletive when referring to one of my friends who was passing by. Someone thought it was directed at them and got offended,” Speech senior Meghan Wichern said. The episode earned the group a lecture from a University Police officer.

NSTV also had to compete for attention with a TONIK dancer advertising for the tap-dancing troupe’s auditions. So they incorporated him into their act.

“Look at this man tap-dancing to DMX! Come on! Eat!” Szymanski yelled to passers-by.

The mock protest did not directly advertise for NSTV’s one-hour sketch comedy act, which will be on May 31, but instead aimed to increase the group’s visibility.

During downtime when there was little traffic, some NSTV members kept the stunt going by dancing as they protested.

“This (protest) is ironic,” Wichern said. “It’s funny. It’s deep, just like my booty-shaking.”