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Photos: World Naked Bike Ride Rolls Through Town (NSFW)
Today a hundred or so adventurous souls stripped down to nothing (or next to it) and pedaled through the streets of Echo Park and downtown—and LAist was there to document the whole thing.
The ride is an international event called the World Naked Bike Ride. The ride has a whimsical feel, but the founders of the annual event say that they started to ride to call attention to the plight of cyclists and pedestrians and an oil-dependent culture:
We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable [energy].
The rides in each city have their own flavor. In New York City, riders used their mostly-naked bodies to protest the NYPD's controversial frisking policy. (San Francisco recently had their own ride as well.) Some of the riders in L.A. used body paint to express their love for the environment. But riders got creative with what little they wore: there were riders with fairy wings, furry hoods, ties, masks and, of course, pasties.(Note that our photographer did his best to honor the wishes of those who did not want to be photographed, particularly at the starting site. Taking pictures out on the street, as the organizers noted, is a protected right thanks to that whole freedom of speech thing we have going on in the United States.)
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Interested in giving it a shot next year? We have some tips for you.
Previously:
6 Tips for Naked Bike Riders This Weekend
Bare as You Dare: Get Ready for L.A.'s World Naked Bike Ride
Fighting A Naked Guy: Two Cyclists Assaulted, Subjected To Anti-Gay Slurs During Nude Bike Ride
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