The dangers of global warming and the need to care about the planet have been hot topics for several months. For this, many people have decided to act, including the World Naked Bike Ride. As stated 20 minutes, Friday August 11, 2023, this is a group that is organizing a series of protests. During these, participants ride naked on bicyclesin order to “raise awareness of the vulnerability and insecurity of cyclists on public roads”, can we read. An event which, in 2019, brought together more than “10,000 cyclists around the world”, it is then specified. This Saturday August 12, 2023, Haute-Garonne was to host this nudist event. The route was already planned since the cyclists had to ride in rural areas. However, the event was canceled by the prefecture. “This race, in which cyclists are invited to take part entirely naked, is planned for the height of the summer holidays, and moreover, during the long weekend of August 15 on a time slot that promotes the exhibition of the procession to the greatest number, especially families”she said in a communicated.
A demonstration that disturbs the prefecture
This event was planned for several months. The organizers had submitted the course to the prefecture of Haute-Garonne, which finally changed its mind. The movement aims to raise awareness on an important subject, but the prefecture refuses to allow it to take place, for a simple reason. Indeed, the sexual parts of the participants will be visible and the organizers have maintained their position. For them, it is inconceivable that this event takes place with people dressed. In addition, the initial route planned to cross the municipalities of Castanet-Tolosan and Auzeville-Tolosane, where many tourists will be present. A situation that the prefecture prefers to avoid and it is therefore a radical decision that has been taken. In the press release, it is also specified that, according to article 222-32 of the Penal Code, the sexual exhibition imposed “in view of others in a place accessible to the public is punished by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros”. As reminded The Parisian, similar events took place in Nantes, Sunday August 6, 2023. Despite a ban, a dozen naturist cyclists rode to the city center. Two were arrested after refusing an identity check and five were fined for exhibitionism.
⋙ Click here to discover the press release from the prefecture