Dan Gelber for Attorney General

With large, black plastic tarps -- meant to replicate oil slicks -- blowing in the wind, several dozen people passed over sunbathers and tourists in beach chairs in an attempt to show the impact oil would have on the pristine beaches.

``The cost of offshore oil drilling is tremendous,'' said Jonathan Ullman of the Sierra Club and one of the organizers of Tuesday's event. ``We're seeing the environmental loss, the tourism loss. We're calling for no more offshore oil drilling.''

Representatives from groups that included the Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Surfrider gathered with politicians on the beach off Ninth Street and Ocean Drive.

``Let me assure you of something, if the oil lobby has the opportunity to put rigs within four miles of our coast, they'll do it,'' said state Sen. Dan Gelber, a Democratic candidate for Florida attorney general, who last week joined other Democrats in calling for a special session to put a drilling ban on the November ballot. ``This is our time to stand up . . . so Florida can say we do not want oil rigs near our shore.''

Gelber was joined by commissioners from Miami Beach, who also called on emergency managers in Miami-Dade County to be prepared should the oil slick come to South Florida.

Adding his voice to those opposing oil drilling was Joe Garcia, who is vying for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart,whose district spans western Miami-Dade, eastern Collier and Monroe counties.

``I oppose drilling for oil anywhere near Florida's beaches,'' Garcia said. ``It's simply a risky proposition that Florida cannot afford. This issue goes beyond party lines.''

The ralliers held signs that read ``Save our state'' and ``Clean beaches are our birthright.''

One surfer was painted in head-to-toe black, holding a blackened surfboard.

Their message didn't resonate with Krisann Robar, 40, visiting from Wisconsin.

``I personally think we need to drill more,'' said Robar, who identified herself as a tea party member.

The protesters tried to pass over the sunbathing Robar with the makeshift oil slick, but she declined.

``We need to find out what happened and make it safer for next time,'' she said about the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig.

The reception was warmer from Maame-Mensima Horne, 23, who was relaxing on the sand on a day off from work when the group passed by her.

``I don't agree with drilling. I think it's a mistake,'' said Horne of Miami Beach. ``We should be focusing efforts elsewhere and focusing on renewable energy.''

Of the group holding the ``mobile oil slick,'' she said: ``I hope it brings awareness. People visiting might not understand what the impacts could be. They're using our beaches.''