Naked bike ride attracts attention

[G_j]

http://www.agrnews.org/issues/284/localnews.html

Naked bike ride attracts attention

By Bob Strott

June 23 (AGR)— On Saturday, June 12, Asheville’s first naked bike ride (of an organized nature) took place. The event was intended as a protest of both our society’s dependence on petroleum and the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Part of a worldwide phenomenon, the ride was well-publicized beforehand and had drawn a wide range of reaction, ranging from enthusiastically supportive to outraged, before it even occurred.

About 50 riders and 250 supporters gathered around noon at the French Broad Food Co-op. This location had been advertised as the starting point in flyers distributed in preceding weeks. The number of participants in the event were further swelled by overwhelming police presence, with upwards of 100 members of the APD and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department, complete with paddywagon, in attendance. Their ranks included their soon-to-be-anointed new chief, William Hogan.

According to one of the organizers, the intimidation factor was intense, and it was decided that the ride should start somewhat earlier than planned. He further stated that cyclists who were plainly undercover police officers took advantage of the prevailing nervousness and confusion to seize control and lead the ride, a truly interesting twist for an event that did include some public nudity. Another witness reported that many of the police visible had video cameras and were actively filming participants.

Local corporate media coverage was spotty at best. The Citizen Times ran a dismissive essay and a brief blurb in the days leading up to the ride; they followed up with a short, insulting mention about a week after. WLOS aired two different stories the day of the event: one at 6pm that included shots of riders’ backs and another at 11pm that consisted of an intro and then several seconds of blank screen while audio rolled.

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[Stone_Spirits]

1. kewl..

Naked bike ride attracts attention, I wonder why? :-)