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freewheeling
Pictures: Naked bike riders take to the streets of Cork to call for action on climate change
Some of them cheated a little.
NAKED CYCLISTS TOOK to the streets of a number of cities today as part of the World Naked Bike Ride
The initiative aims to raise awareness about the safety of cyclists, while calling for action on climate change.
A large-scale event was held in London – starting from six separate points and finishing at Wellington Arch.
Around 250 people also took part in an event in Manchester – while here at home dozens of cyclists hopped in the saddle for a naked ride through Cork.
Footage posted online from the Leeside event show cyclists – some decked out in intricate body-paint designs, others cheating slightly in shorts and swimming togs – waving and cheering as they cycle, as motorists beep their support.
Organisers of the Cork event explained its objective, in an email sent to participants before today’s cycle:
The World Naked Bike Ride is a global protest. It all began
simultaneously in Vancouver BC and in Zaragoza in Spain in 2001, and now rides take place in over 100 locations worldwide.
“It is a protest against global oil dependency, a statement about the vulnerability of
cyclists, and a celebration of the power and individuality of the human body.
“In an era when most of us have had to tighten our belts, traffic jams are a major source of stress and parking fees and fines are ruinous, there are plenty of reasons close to home why cycling is an ideal option.
“That’s without looking at broader issues of pollution, resource wars and global warming.
The rides raise awareness of cycling, while the nudity highlights the vulnerable status of the cyclist when compared to, say, a car user. A cyclist’s body is fully exposed; a car user is inside a protective structure.
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