NakedGary
03-20-2008, 01:13 AM
Eugene, Oregon and published on March 9, 2008.
http://www.register<WBR>guard.com (http://www.registerguard.com/)
------------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>-
A mass Naked Bike Ride through the streets of Eugene an event
intended as a whimsical demonstration against oil dependency and a
celebration of the human body briefly turned into a fracas Saturday
when police tried to stop the parade and arrest some of the participants.
About 100 bicyclists in various states of undress made the ride, which
began at Skinner Butte Park at 7:30 p.m. and ended about an hour later
at the Eugene railroad depot. The event was intended to mimic similar
rides held in larger cities around the world in recent years.
Along the way, riders cheered, chanted and stopped traffic as they
weaved through the Whiteaker neighborhood and then downtown.
Organizers did not alert Eugene police in advance, instead sharing
their plans via the Internet, fliers and word-of- mouth. But it didn’t
take long for officers to make their presence felt.
As riders headed east on Broadway, officers in two patrol cars pulled
over at least two cyclists. As the parade wended its way down
Charnelton, one officer stopped his car in the middle of the
intersection, got out and ordered the cyclists to stop and women to
put their tops on.
As the ride wheeled up 13th Avenue near Willamette, at least three
police vehicles showed up, with one pulling in front of the main pack.
Most of the riders kept going, but when an officer grabbed one of
them, an angry group of naked bicyclists surrounded the officer,
shouting and chanting for him to let the biker go.
After letting the first biker go, the officer grabbed the rear rack of
another rider bike. Thats when Cassandra Hurd, 21, got involved.
Hurd, a welder and Lane Community College student, rammed her bike
into the others bike. She said later she was trying to keep
police from arresting the other rider because “We were making a
statement; we weren’t doing anything wrong.”
As one officer grabbed Hurd, who was wearing only panties, and put her
on the ground, preparing to arrest her, the crowd loudly chanted,
““Leave her alone, leave her alone.
Another officer trained his Taser on a naked man who approached the
scene, but did not use the weapon.
After a few moments, Hurd was let go and the ride continued.
“We attempted to make arrests but the crowd turned on the two officers
we had trying to handle the situation and they elected to disengage
before someone got hurt, Eugene police Lt. Rich Stronach said later.
Police caught wind that some kind of ride would take place when
organizers inquired about getting a permit from the city Parks
Department, but they were caught off guard” when they rode downtown,
he said.
When police received complaints about the riders blocking traffic,
officers decided the bicyclists needed to comply with traffic laws,
Stronach said.
When the riders ignored the officers’ emergency lights and kept
riding, You have to get a little more insistent getting them to
stop, he said. Had organizers talked to police ahead of time, police
could have told them how to comply with traffic laws and be left
alone, he said.
Arrests are not unheard of at Naked Bike Rides, but most go off
peacefully, according to organizers and past participants.<WBR>The rides
have been happening in dozens of cities around the world since at
least 2004.
The London ride goes by Buckingham Palace and draws approximately
1,000 riders, said Conrad Schmidt of Vancouver, B.C., one of the
events founders.
The purposes of the rides, organizers say, are multiple: to celebrate
cycling and the human body; to demonstrate the vulnerability of
bicyclists on the road; and to protest against global oil dependency.
But mostly, they say, its to have fun on bikes.
Portland, known for its enthusiastic bicycle culture, has been host to
Naked Bike Rides for several years. Last years ride drew more than
1,000 riders, said Jonathan Maus, editor of bikeportland.<WBR>org.
The event in that city takes place the first week of June, when
Portlanders are in a festive mood with the Rose Festival and Fleet
Week, he said. The bike ride usually starts at midnight, so there
not much traffic or police involvement, he said.
It's just fun and it caught on as a novel thing to do, Maus said.
a sign of a good healthy bike culture.
Saturdays event began when bikers gathered in the gloaming at Skinner
Butte Park. Fire dancers and a saxophone player provided entertainment
as riders began disrobing and preparing for the ride, some with body
paint and other creative body wear.
Not all riders were naked; some men wore underwear, some women wore
bras or bikini tops. One woman wrapped her torso in plastic wrap to
provide some insulation and to cover up.
I think Im keeping my boxers on; my seat is leather, said one man.
I was going to wear a loincloth, said another. But my design didnt
work out, it looked like a diaper.
http://www.register<WBR>guard.com (http://www.registerguard.com/)
------------<WBR>---------<WBR>---------<WBR>-
A mass Naked Bike Ride through the streets of Eugene an event
intended as a whimsical demonstration against oil dependency and a
celebration of the human body briefly turned into a fracas Saturday
when police tried to stop the parade and arrest some of the participants.
About 100 bicyclists in various states of undress made the ride, which
began at Skinner Butte Park at 7:30 p.m. and ended about an hour later
at the Eugene railroad depot. The event was intended to mimic similar
rides held in larger cities around the world in recent years.
Along the way, riders cheered, chanted and stopped traffic as they
weaved through the Whiteaker neighborhood and then downtown.
Organizers did not alert Eugene police in advance, instead sharing
their plans via the Internet, fliers and word-of- mouth. But it didn’t
take long for officers to make their presence felt.
As riders headed east on Broadway, officers in two patrol cars pulled
over at least two cyclists. As the parade wended its way down
Charnelton, one officer stopped his car in the middle of the
intersection, got out and ordered the cyclists to stop and women to
put their tops on.
As the ride wheeled up 13th Avenue near Willamette, at least three
police vehicles showed up, with one pulling in front of the main pack.
Most of the riders kept going, but when an officer grabbed one of
them, an angry group of naked bicyclists surrounded the officer,
shouting and chanting for him to let the biker go.
After letting the first biker go, the officer grabbed the rear rack of
another rider bike. Thats when Cassandra Hurd, 21, got involved.
Hurd, a welder and Lane Community College student, rammed her bike
into the others bike. She said later she was trying to keep
police from arresting the other rider because “We were making a
statement; we weren’t doing anything wrong.”
As one officer grabbed Hurd, who was wearing only panties, and put her
on the ground, preparing to arrest her, the crowd loudly chanted,
““Leave her alone, leave her alone.
Another officer trained his Taser on a naked man who approached the
scene, but did not use the weapon.
After a few moments, Hurd was let go and the ride continued.
“We attempted to make arrests but the crowd turned on the two officers
we had trying to handle the situation and they elected to disengage
before someone got hurt, Eugene police Lt. Rich Stronach said later.
Police caught wind that some kind of ride would take place when
organizers inquired about getting a permit from the city Parks
Department, but they were caught off guard” when they rode downtown,
he said.
When police received complaints about the riders blocking traffic,
officers decided the bicyclists needed to comply with traffic laws,
Stronach said.
When the riders ignored the officers’ emergency lights and kept
riding, You have to get a little more insistent getting them to
stop, he said. Had organizers talked to police ahead of time, police
could have told them how to comply with traffic laws and be left
alone, he said.
Arrests are not unheard of at Naked Bike Rides, but most go off
peacefully, according to organizers and past participants.<WBR>The rides
have been happening in dozens of cities around the world since at
least 2004.
The London ride goes by Buckingham Palace and draws approximately
1,000 riders, said Conrad Schmidt of Vancouver, B.C., one of the
events founders.
The purposes of the rides, organizers say, are multiple: to celebrate
cycling and the human body; to demonstrate the vulnerability of
bicyclists on the road; and to protest against global oil dependency.
But mostly, they say, its to have fun on bikes.
Portland, known for its enthusiastic bicycle culture, has been host to
Naked Bike Rides for several years. Last years ride drew more than
1,000 riders, said Jonathan Maus, editor of bikeportland.<WBR>org.
The event in that city takes place the first week of June, when
Portlanders are in a festive mood with the Rose Festival and Fleet
Week, he said. The bike ride usually starts at midnight, so there
not much traffic or police involvement, he said.
It's just fun and it caught on as a novel thing to do, Maus said.
a sign of a good healthy bike culture.
Saturdays event began when bikers gathered in the gloaming at Skinner
Butte Park. Fire dancers and a saxophone player provided entertainment
as riders began disrobing and preparing for the ride, some with body
paint and other creative body wear.
Not all riders were naked; some men wore underwear, some women wore
bras or bikini tops. One woman wrapped her torso in plastic wrap to
provide some insulation and to cover up.
I think Im keeping my boxers on; my seat is leather, said one man.
I was going to wear a loincloth, said another. But my design didnt
work out, it looked like a diaper.