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Naked cyclists take to the streets
5:26pm Saturday 7th June 2008
Comments (17)IT was one of the most revealing protests Southampton had ever seen.
Onlookers could not believe their eyes when 200 people stripped off for a naked cycle ride through the city to protest against the global dependency of oil and motor vehicles.
Wearing nothing more than a cycle helmet and a pair of trainers, scores of riders of all ages, shapes and sizes pedalled through the city centre last night leaving a trail of surprised and smiling people behind them.
In the second year the peaceful protest has come to Southampton, twice as many riders joined the nude event which also aims to demonstrate how vulnerable cyclists are when they travel on a busy road surrounded by other vehicles.
Drivers honked their horns in support as the cyclists, who had started from the eastern side of Southampton Common at Highfield, passed through Portswood.
By the time they reached the city centre, rounded the Bargate and headed up into Above Bar small crowds were waiting with their cameras ready to capture the revealing scenes.
City centre shop workers finishing for the day and restaurant customers enjoying food and drink in the sunshine also stopped to cheer on the protestors.
Not all cyclists took to the hour-long ride completely naked with many choosing to join the protest in beach gear or underwear, while others chose to paint themselves the colours of their favourite animals.
Southampton organiser Rob Jordan said the ride was all about having fun while driving home a serious message.
"Its great fun to ride and everyone enjoys taking part in the event," he told the Daily Echo.
"We get a lot of smiles and a lot of cheers as we go round.
"We really just want to draw attention to the issues we are promoting about oil dependency and get more people to spend more time on their bikes and less time in their cars."
"Last year in Southampton we had 102 people take part and it looks like we have got a lot more than this year. These events just keep getting bigger and bigger."
The Southampton ride was the first leg of the World Naked Bike Ride in the UK this year. Others are taking place in London and Brighton over this weekend.
More than 2,000 people are expected to take part across the UK in seven cities during June.
Your Say YourDaily Echo
gorf, soton says...
12:43pm Sat 7 Jun 08
SK, says...
1:24pm Sat 7 Jun 08
Bambi, says...
2:09pm Sat 7 Jun 08
Gem, says...
2:38pm Sat 7 Jun 08
Matt Probert, Harefield says...
6:39pm Sat 7 Jun 08
paul b, says...
6:49pm Sat 7 Jun 08
Pete, Portswood says...
12:40am Sun 8 Jun 08
It's worth noting if you didn't see it, that there was a lot more nakedness than the Echo's pictures show - I guess they weren't really comfortable with printing it unfortunately. I think the green man holding a bike helmet over himself in the picture above must have borrowed it for the photo at the photographer's request - I don't remember him wearing it during the ride.
Matt - if you're not one of the "beautiful people" then all the more reason you should join the ride. Acceptance of the real, everyday human body instead of the image of perfection is one of its official themes.
hoo flung dung, southampton says...
12:42am Sun 8 Jun 08
gorf wrote:you did'nt miss much, just a few dicks on saddles!
cor! im gutted i missed that
bullarboy, bitterne says...
3:47am Sun 8 Jun 08
Heard about equal rights??
Jani Franck, Southampton says...
11:16am Sun 8 Jun 08
southampton resident, says...
12:12pm Sun 8 Jun 08
if people were riding around naked why didn't the police arrest them, or is it once again a case of cyclists getting away with breaking the law a la cycle on the pavement, down one way streets the wrong way, through red traffic lights etc etc?
I didn't think cyclists could go any lower in my estimation of them, but well done, idiots, you have!
Alex, Soton says...
1:57pm Sun 8 Jun 08
Pete, Portswood says...
5:02pm Sun 8 Jun 08
King Mush, Woolston says...
1:46am Mon 9 Jun 08
Pete wrote:Cant be arsed to check but I would have thought that this amounted to 'indecent exposure'? Maybe not 'intending to cause alarm or distress' but surely some people will react in this very way? Isnt this virtually 'flashing' albeit not intending to be sexually motivated?
Southampton Resident: Why should the police have arrested anybody? I suspect this may surprise you, but it's not illegal to be naked in public in this country unless it's with the intention to cause "alarm or distress" (Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 66). The most illegal thing that happened during the event was probably a traffic offense, but then again it wasn't exactly normal driving conditions.
I'm no prude and just laugh at these eccentrics although I tend to be uncomfortable when thinking about kids who might see these naked nutters go by?
Let them go naked on sectioned off nudist beaches but not seeing their floppy saggy bits juggling along the Queens Highway
Typo Watcher, Hants says...
9:03am Mon 9 Jun 08
Don't you mean "joggling"?
Or was it really an intentional pun ??
King Mush, Woolston says...
12:05pm Mon 9 Jun 08
Typo Watcher wrote:lol
"Juggling" Mush ??? Don't you mean "joggling"? Or was it really an intentional pun ??
Look at the timestamp - just staggered in from the boozer.
Mind you - it could be jiggling?
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Wewullywinky, says...
9:58am Sat 7 Jun 08
On lookers weren't cheering to support of their protest they were cheer for nudity