NUDE BICYCLISTS – GOOD FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT

The news value of this story should be obvious.

Cyclists bare all to protest car culture
Katherine Baldwin (w/Anna Willard), June 9, 2007 (Reuters)

WHO
Bicycle Riders, Bogdan Potrowski, a 36-year-old Polish electrician, Rebecca Craig, 20, a student midwife
coming (click to enlarge, no pun intended)

WHAT
The 4th annual naked bike ride: Naked bicyclists pedaled through four cities around the world in protest of oil dependency and the “car culture.”

WHEN
June 9.

WHERE
London, Paris, Madrid, Vancouver

WHY
- Traffic came to a standstill, onlookers gaped and snapped photos
- Besides protesting oil dependency and the car culture, the riders wanted to boost bike riding, show the vulnerability of cyclists and celebrate the body
- Naked riding reportedly wasn’t strenuous except on the cities’ older, cobbled streets
- 1000 participants in London, 400 in Paris, where 5 were arrested for "sexual exhibition" afterwards
going (click to enlarge, as above)

QUOTES
- London riders chanted: "Rights for Bikes"
- Painted on a London participant’s back: "Less Gas More Ass"
- Potrowski, wearing just a baseball cap: "We shouldn't be so dependent on oil…We also want to show everyone how defenseless we are on the roads…"
- Craig, with red hand prints painted on her breasts: "Everyone does it for different reasons…Give me my [stolen front] wheel back".