Thessaloniki
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Naked bike ride in Thessaloniki 27/06/08 runs foul of police
Green activists in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki clashed with riot police during their attempt to hold a naked bike ride in order to protest excessive car use. Senior police officials, however, had warned that anyone not wearing clothes would be arrested and so the ride went ahead with the protesters clothed in beach wear and body paint.
According to protest spokesperson Kostas Terzopoulos Thessaloniki is the dirtiest city in Europe especially in term of pollution and that excessive car use leads to massive problems with air quality and noise pollution.
Problems began when riot police closed the main road leading into the city and forcibly arrested an English protester who they claimed was naked. Amidst tense scenes the hundred or so cyclists eventually persuaded the riot police to let the bike ride continue.
Later cyclists closed the main Tsimiski St with a sit down protest in order to demonstrate against the detainmenτ of their fellow protester who was, according to police authorities set free. They condemned the police handling of the ride as heavy handed and out of all proportion.
The Greek police force has a chequered history as far as the handling of public demonstrations and has often been the target of complaints and law suits over excessive use of force. Last September English teacher and NowPublic contributer, Craig Wherlock was hopitalised by riot police for taking pictures during a peaceful march.Whilst in November 2006 Cypriot student, Augustinos Dimitrios was savagely beaten by plain clothes officers. Despite the fact that the incident was captured by TV cameras and shown on national TV no officer has been charged with a criminal offense.
According to the national daily Eleutherotypia newspaper one person per week died in custody in Greece in 2007. Whilst the country has been convicted seven times by the European Court of Human Rights for police abuse. http://www.nowpublic.com/world/naked-bike-ride-runs-foul-police
Will there be a Thessaloníki Naked Bike Ride?
Yes! Sorry this page is mostly in English! It will be updated with better information and Greek content (possibly with translations). For the latest info, check the WNBR Greece Facebook group or worldnakedbikeride.gr
Next ride
Date: ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗ 27 ΙΟΥΝΙΟΥ 2008 (FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2008)
Time: Around 20.00
Location: TBA
Register your interest
The first World Naked Bike Ride will happen on FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2008. This wiki page has been set up with info, so if you have questions or want to simply register your interest in participating in the ride, visit World Naked Bike Ride and register your interest. If you don't find Thessaloníki listed, register for London (England) and note that your interest is actually in a Thessaloníki ride.
About the ride
Greek
Ηρθε η ώρα να βάλουμε ένα STOP στην άσεμνη έκθεση των ανθρώπων και του πλανήτη, στα αυτοκίνητα και στην ρύπανση που δημιουργούν.
Αντιμετωπίζουμε την κίνηση των αυτοκινήτων με τα γυμνά μας κορμιά σαν τον καλύτερο τρόπο για να υπερασπιστούμε την αξιοπρέπεια μας και εκθέτοντας την τρωτότητα που αντιμετωπίζεται από τους ποδηλάτες και τους πεζούς στους δρόμους μας καθώς και στις αρνητικές συνέπειες που όλοι αντιμετωπίζουμε εξαιτίας της εξάρτησης από το πετρέλαιο και των άλλων μορφών μη ανανεώσιμης ενέργειας.
English
It's time to put a stop to the indecent exposure of people and the planet to cars and the pollution they create.
We face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the vulnerability faced by cyclists and pedestrians on our streets as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy.
News
Text taken from the Facebook Group:
Την ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗ 27 ΙΟΥΝΙΟΥ 2008 θα πραγματοποιηθεί η 1η ΓΥΜΝΗ ΠΟΔΗΛΑΤΟΔΡΟΜΙΑ διαμαρτυρίας στη Θεσσαλονίκη.
ΤΟ ΠΟΔΗΛΑΤΟ είναι ΓΡΗΓΟΡΟ μέσο μετακίνησης, δεν ειναι ΜΟΝΟ για ΠΑΙΔΙΑ, ΑΘΛΗΤΕΣ, ΑΚΤΙΒΙΣΤΕΣ, ΚΟΛΛΗΜΕΝΟΥΣ και ΓΡΑΦΙΚΟΥΣ!
Με τους ποδηλατόδρομους ενισχύουμε την υποδομή ενναλλακτικής μετακίνησης των πολιτών προς το κέντρο της πόλης, με ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑ και ΑΝΕΣΗ.
Με αυτό τον τρόπο μειώνουμε τους ρύπους για ΟΛΟΥΣ τους ανθρωπους, βελτιώνουμε το κυκλοφοριακό για όσους δεν μπορούνε να μετακινηθούνε διαφορετικά.
Η Θεσσαλονίκη είναι 1η στην Ευρώπη σε μόλυνση μικροσωματιδίων (ΝΑΙ ΔΕΝ ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΑΘΗΝΑ!). Το TOP10 σε μόλυνση συμπληρώνουνε άλλες 5 Ελληνικές πόλεις.ΕΙΝΑΙ ΘΕΜΑ ΕΠΙΒΙΩΣΗΣ.
ΘΕΛΟΥΜΕ ΠΟΔΗΛΑΤΟΔΡΟΜΟΥΣ ΤΩΡΑ και ΟΧΙ να το σκεφτούμε το 2012 αν θα γίνουνε όπως δήλωσε για την Ημέρα Χωρίς Αυτοκίνητο ο Δήμαρχος Θεσ/νίκης κ. Παπαγεωργόπουλος!
Το 2012 μετα το Μετρό και την Υποθαλάσια πρέπει να πεζοδρομηθεί μεγάλο τμήμα του κέντρου όπως σε όλες τις Ευρωπαικές Πρωτεύουσες που σαν τουρίστες τις απολαμβάνουμε.
Αμεση προτεραιότητα στην κατασκευή ποδηλατοδρόμων σε κεντρικούς δρόμους που διασχίζουνε την πόλη και φτάνουνε στο κέντρο από Ανατολικά και Δυτικά.
Route
The route may be announced beforehand, otherwise, simply turn up at the assembly point for details.
Bike hire
Bikes can be hired from several places in Thessaloníki, but we'll try to list some recommended hire locations if a ride is confirmed.
Meetings and events
To be announced here.
Publicity
The Thessaloníki ride publicity materials will be provided here for download and distribution.
Media coverage
There is always plenty of TV and Radio coverage locally, plus some mention in national media. Here we will provide links to stories which are available on the internet, and apply specifically to Thessaloníki.
Photos
2010
- Orhan Tsolak (flickr.com)
2009
Links
Websites
- WNBR Thessaloníki wiki – official wiki page for the Thessaloníki ride (this page!)
- www.worldnakedbikeride.gr
- WNBR @Greece Facebook group
