8.9 km into a 12.6 km bike ride to protest for peace, sustainability and cyclists rights, Police broke up the 7th annual World Naked Bike Ride in Newcastle, NSW Australia.
The group of about 15 bike riders, some clothed and and others naked and decorated in body paint promoting their protest message rode along the Honeysuckle harbor side cycle way, down Hunter St (the main street of the city) and through on o...f the busy the restaurant and cafe precinct of Darby St. The ride was cheered and applauded by members of the public.
Citing an alleged complaint from the public the Police stopped the ride in Bar Beach. A couple participating in the ride were stopped and questioned by Police who indicated further action may result. One gentleman was questioned and asked to get dressed.
Local World Naked Bike Ride Organiser, Marte Kinder, said:
"The actions of the Police were extraordinary given that during the 8 year history of the event in Australia (in 4 states and the ACT) police had been tolerant and accepting and that the community saw it as good natured and innocent fun. After 5000 people stripped naked outside the Sydney Opera House on the 2nd of March 2010 to be photographed by the artist Spencer Tunick and the recent World Naked Bike Ride in Melbourne on Sunday the 6th of March where 150 people rode naked, I would expect the NSW Police would realise that non-sexual public nudity in the name of a good cause is both accepted by the public and legal. Although it is illegal to invade countries and conduct wars of aggression that kill millions to secure oil reserves in neo-colonial wars, criticising those crimes naked (and in the spirit of the Archibald Memorial Fountain) was considered a threat to society by NSW Police. If they could arrest the war criminals who are murdering mother earth with toxic pollution and green house gasses, we would have a better world."
Image copyright of Second Sight Photography: http://www.secondsightphotography.com.au/
Comments
Good on the Police well done
Good on the Police well done
Sexual perverted
Sexual perverted i think
there was nothing sexual in it at all
Oh, come on, there was nothing sexual in it at all. Have a read of the website and see that it was a plea for acceptance by the community that are many issues troubling us as humans and that we should recognise the fact. The hoons that were driving at speed in Hunter Street, making a lot of noise, and yelling obscenities were causing a lot more harm than the Naked Bike Riders. Please take time and have a re-think.
protest about oil dependency and the vulnerability of cyclists
The World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) is a protest about oil dependency and the vulnerability of cyclists in the midst of these resource-consuming oil-driven vehicles. It is also a celebration of body freedom and uses that to emphasise the vulnerability of pedestrians and cyclists on the world's streets - There is nothing sexual about it, except possibly in the twisted minds of some observers!
The article reports "The ride was cheered and applauded by members of the public." and so it is by the vast majority of sensible, sane people the world over. So why do the Australian police insist on breaking up these events - this is not the first to end this way - I have even heard of them stating that "it's Ok for the Sheilas to carry on but the guys have to cover up" !
How wrong is that?
Never mind, perhaps the Australian police are protecting their jobs; as clearly one of the most prudish legal administrations they are doing a good job of keeping their country at number 3 in the list of Rapes per Capita (see http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_percap-crime-rapes-per-capita ) despite the evidence afforded by such lists that those nations with the most liberal attitude to nudity have the lowest sexual crime rates (just look where Germany and Denmark come or even better, the Ukraine - famous for its Naturism).
Here in the UK the WNBR attracts about 1,200 riders in London as well as being held in several other towns and cities. Rather than being stopped by the police it is often provided with a police escort to ensure the safety of the riders in the city traffic. And we are reputed to be a prudish nation!
The police action was potentially illegal
The first two comments on here are obviously trolls...
Public nudity is no longer illegal in Australia, in general..
Unfortunately, it can take the "Police on the beat", months - even years - to catch up on all changes in Australian and State laws.
The nude bike riders hadn't done anything "illegal"..
The police action itself was out of line ~ and potentially illegal in-and-of itself...
David you need to check the law
Public nudity is illegal in Australia try walking around the supermarket nude and see how long you last.
David is obviously troll and does not know what he is talking about.
As a parent if I was to encounter a nude man in front of my children guess where I would be kicking him?Then I would be ringing the police, to get him charged with indecent exposure, and put on a sex offenders list
we both ended up with fines totally almost $500
hiIm one of the couple the police questioned and we both ended up with fines totally almost $500 so we wont be doing it again
Legitimate family value nudist clubs in Sydney and Newcastle
Lots of places to safely ride a bike, play tennis, dance, swim, bushwalk and socialize all whilst being naked with like minded people. Go to www.sydneynudistinfo.com for information about legitimate family value social nudist clubs in Sydney and Newcastle.
does that mean that you condone sexually based violence?
@Cathy, should you come upon me minding my own business and stike me in any fashion due to the state of my dress, then it is you who will be the one before the judge. I will ensure that you are handcuffed before your children to demonstrate to them the level of their mothers hatred and the illegitimacy of her actions.
But, by your comment "if I was to encounter a nude man" does that mean that you condone sexually based violence? Would you be more accepting if it were a woman facing your children?
To be indecent, one must be undertaking actions that would cause offence. If one was conduction sexual activities during this time it would be lewd conduct or similar.
It may be you, Cathy, who needs to get with the times an drealise that there is a greater risk to your children than someone who decides that to live naked, whilst conducting their day to day lives, is a natural way to live. Who knows, maybe this person lives next to you........