Pic of last year's ride by Hembo Pagi The World Naked Bike Ride is described as a peaceful, imaginative and fun protest against oil dependency and car culture. World Naked Bike Ride is a celebration of the bicycle and of the power and individuality of the human body. It also symbolises the vulnerability of the cyclist in traffic.
The event is the world’s biggest naked protest: 50+ cities and thousands of riders participate worldwide, including around 2,000 in the UK in 2008.
The group will meet on the eastern side of Southampton Common in the clearing next to Highfield Road and opposite the junction with Omdurman Road. At 6.30pm it will hit the streets of Southampton on colourful bikes. Roller blades, skateboards or other (non-carbon emitting) wheels are also welcome. The ride will take about an hour. For more details about taking part and supporting this event visit http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/wiki/Southampton
Art House prepares
In preparation for the event the staff of The Art House Café (which has recently moved from Bedford Place to opposite the Guildhall Square) are organising some activities on Friday June 5, from 7.30 till 10pm. They will be making colourful flags and spokie dokies for decorating bikes, and devising 'green' slogans and cutting stencils to paint them onto riders’ bodies. Meanwhile, a program of short films about bicycles and naked protest will be shown. The highlight will be a screening of the acclaimed documentary by Johnny Zapatos about the 2005 ride in London. Free entry, but with a Magic Hat collection to cover The Art House costs, and Ł3 if you want to buy a hand-printed WNBR flags.
More information on the Art House website.