UNITED KINGDOM: Over one thousand cyclists strip off to take part in World Naked Bike Ride as a protest against oil dependency and car culture

Record ID: 735523

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Over one thousand cyclists strip off to take part in World Naked Bike Ride as a protest against oil dependency and car culture
  • Date: 14th June 2009
  • Summary: "NO WAR FOR OIL" PAINTED ON A MAN'S BACK (SOUNDBITE) (English) CYCLIST, GWEN BAJON, SAYING "I'm thinking more about not using cars in inner city spaces and people being able to travel wherever they want to go and not polluting inner cities, that's what I'm thinking about." (SOUNDBITE) (English) CYCLIST. CYBER FIRE, SAYING "We took part last year and it was amazing and it's a great cause and it's great to be naked and you know it's a great carnival atmosphere, so yeah it's a great event, I think it's one of the best events in London actually, so yeah a really good occasion."
  • Embargoed: 29th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVABKEYJDV0RAHKE0LAJSHH9PKCA
  • Story Text: Over one thousand cyclists stripped off in London on Saturday (June 13), as they took part in the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) to protest against oil dependency and car culture.
    The sixth annual naked bike ride in London was part of a global protest, other rides in the UK were taking place in Brighton, Cardiff, Manchester, Sheffield and York as well as over 40 locations around the world during the weekend.
    Organiser Jesse Schust explained why the cyclists were gathering in London for the mass ride.
    "This is a protest against oil dependency and car culture, it's us taking back the streets with out bodies and making ourselves visible so the politicians can't ignore our demands."
    Schust said.
    He also explained why the riders were cycling naked.
    "This is naked because we want to show the vulnerability of the cyclist, the cyclist in the street now is no safer than if they had absolutely no clothing on, and we're showing that by going out onto the streets without our clothes." he said.
    The cyclists, many of them painted with anti-oil slogans, followed a 10km (6 mile) route, starting off at Hyde Park corner before heading into London's "West End" and passing the Houses of Parliament.
    Hundreds of tourists and shoppers gathered and cheered them on as the Metropolitan police stopped traffic to allow the cyclists an easy passage through London's busy streets.
    As the ride finished up back at Hyde Park Corner by Wellington Arch, many of the riders explained why they had taken part in the mass ride.
    "I'm thinking more about not using cars in inner city spaces and people being able to travel wherever they want to go and not polluting inner cities, that's what I'm thinking about." said Gwen Bajon.
    Cyber Fire who cycled the route with friends Emily and Dick Lacey explained that they took part because it was a great cause and also because they enjoyed the party atmosphere.
    "We took part last year and it was amazing and it's a great cause and it's great to be naked and you know it's a great carnival atmosphere, so yeah it's a great event, I think it's one of the best events in London actually, so yeah a really good occasion." Cyber Fire said.
    Lynn Clark took part with friend Andrew Islam for the first time and said she found the naked experience liberating.
    "It was interesting, it was very liberating actually." she said.
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