Melbourne press release

Press Release

Please click this link for the post ride press release.

Pre-ride Press Release

World Naked Bike Ride, Winter Wonderland, Melbourne 2008.
Over the weekend of Friday 6th, Saturday 7th and Sunday 9th of June, cities across the world will experience the joy of the World Naked Bike Ride 2008: the world's largest naked protest against oil dependency with hundreds of riders participating and protesting...it is a beautiful way to be seen and heard and such a delightful enriching experience for participants and onlookers alike and the perfect opportunity to BE THE CHANGE WE ARE LOOKING FOR. By riding naked we make ourselves vulnerable....a truly blissful, non-threatening, peaceful way to show the world we care.

A ride is planned here in Australia in Melbourne beginning on Friday the 6th of June and riding through midnight. Melbourne rides in solidarity with our Northern Hemisphere cycling cousins in:

1. Austria (Österreich): Vienna (Wien)
2. Belgium (België/Belgique/Belgien): Brussels (Brussel/Bruxelles/Brüssel)
3. Canada: Guelph, ON
4. Canada: Nelson, BC
5. Canada: Ottawa, ON
6. Canada: Toronto, ON
7. Canada: Vancouver, BC
8. Canada: Victoria, BC
9. Czech Republic (Česká Republika): Prague (Praha)
10. Denmark (Danmark): Copenhagen (København)
11. France: Paris
12. Germany (Deutschland): Berlin
13. Germany (Deutschland): Bonn
14. Germany (Deutschland): Bremen
15. Germany (Deutschland): Dresden
16. Germany (Deutschland): Frankfurt (Frankfurt am Main)
17. Germany (Deutschland): Munich (München)
18. Greece (Ελλάδα): Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη)
19. Mexico (México): Mexico City (Ciudad de México)
20. Netherlands (Nederland): Utrecht
21. Russia (Россия/Rossiya/Rossija): Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург/Sankt-Peterburg)
22. Spain (España): A Coruña
23. Spain (España): Alicante
24. Spain (España): Barcelona
25. Spain (España): Granada
26. Spain (España): Huesca
27. Spain (España): Madrid
28. Spain (España): Murcia
29. Spain (España): Pamplona
30. Spain (España): Santander
31. Spain (España): Valencia
32. Spain (España): Valladolid
33. Spain (España): Zaragoza
34. UK: Belfast
35. UK: Brighton & Hove
36. UK: Cardiff
37. UK: Edinburgh
38. UK: London
39. UK: Manchester
40. UK: Sheffield
41. UK: Southampton
42. UK: York
43. USA: Asheville, NC
44. USA: Austin, TX
45. USA: Black Rock City, NV
46. USA: Boulder, CO
47. USA: Burlington, VT
48. USA: Chicago, IL
49. USA: Denver, CO
50. USA: Eugene, OR
51. USA: Marquette, MI
52. USA: Montpelier, VT
53. USA: Portland, OR
54. USA: Saint Louis, MO
55. USA: Saint Petersburg, FL
56. USA: San Francisco, CA
57. USA: Seattle, WA
58. USA: Washington, DC

On the 9th of March, naked bike riders in Eugene, Oregon USA braved bitter cold and threats of Police Tazers to ride in solidarity with the Southern Hemisphere. Melbourne sends a special tribute to the brave naked bike riders in Eugene, Oregon USA by riding in solidarity with them in our winter. The Winter Wonderland theme is part of that tribute.

The WNBR message addresses the world wide issue of sustainable transport and advocates more environmentally friendly cycling and less polluting cars and trucks. The WNBR is an annual clothing-optional protest ride for Naturism, environmentalism, peace and the rights of cyclists to use the road safely.

The World Naked Bike Ride is the longest running and largest global protest that has no money backers, and is run by volunteers around the world. Last year's ride included over 5,000 people.

With the ever-increasing awareness about the benefits of healthy, fit bodies and less pollution and congestion on our roads, we expect a big turnout to this year's rides.

Though the dress code for the ride is “Go as bare as you dare!”, nudity is not compulsory. It is not a ride promoting overtly sexual behaviour in public.

Many people still struggle to distinguish between concepts of non-sexual nudity and pornography. The WNBR encourages society’s need for a body-positive mentality, and protests against environmental damage caused by motorised vehicles.

Excessive burning of fossil fuels has instigated environmental damage in the forms of climate change, air pollution, and acid rain and water pollution.

From the onset of pollution and cancer, to obesity – the burning of fossil fuels and car-addicted lifestyles are causing serious health problems, many of which are affecting humans on a widespread scale.

Violence stemming from wars fought over oil and road rage results in the deaths and injuries to innocent civilians from the former, and pedestrians and cyclists from the latter.

The WNBR is an active social movement for a peaceful and gentler world, which includes our roads.

“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 plus all the negative effects of oil, cars, war, consumerism and non-renewable energy”, reads the WNBR mission statement.

The WNBR group was created by Conrad Schmidt (of Vancouver, Canada) in 2004 to help coordinate a large international naked bike ride between many different activist groups across the World. Since then, the WNBR has spread to over 60 cites in about 20 countries with the participation of thousands of riders.

Ride Details

World Naked Bike Ride, Winter Wonderland, Melbourne 2008

• TIME: 7pm
• DATE: FRIDAY 6th JUNE 2008
• WHERE: Meet at the UNION HOTEL (cnr Web & Gore Sts) Fitzroy.
  

Once everyone has arrived and had a few drinks and a good yak we will ride to a undisclosed location to de-brief and paint slogans and decorate our bikes and bodies in preparation for the mid-night start.

For more information see: http://worldnakedbikeride.org/australia/

For enquiries contact: Heidi Hill [email protected]

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