Cape-Town, South Africa, saw citizens stripping down naked and take over the streets to mark the annual World Naked Bike Ride 2021. With the theme, ‘Bare As You Dare,’ thousands of women and men were captured, either completely nude, or covering just their private parts, carrying out cycle rallies in the city. Pictures and videos of the same event are doing rounds on the internet, with a few netizens unaware about this annual event's objective, wondering what led the people to take it to the streets to rally, all naked. In this article, we bring you everything you should know about the body-positivity cycle-rallies.

World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) is an international clothing-optional bike ride, which means, it is totally up to the participants whether they want to attend the rally complete naked, or wear clothes of their choice. The concept is not new, and quite similar to other nude events such as the Nude Gardening event. However in WNBR, participants plan, meet and ride together on human-powered transport, the vast majority on bicycles, and some opting for skateboards and inline skates. The event aims to deliver a “vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positivity world.” The dress code motto is “bare as you dare.”

How Did it start?

In 2003, social activist, Conrad Schmidt conceived the idea after organising the Naked Bike Ride for the group of Artists for Peace/Artists Against War (AFP/AAW). Initially, the message was to protest against oil dependency and celebrating the individuality of the human body. It was in 2006, when the protest saw a shift in its objects, by simplifying the messages and focussing on cycling advocacy. Powerful Photos of Women Baring Breasts for Gender Equality From Previous Editions of Topless Day Rallies and Parades. 

There is no fixed date for the event, and the event is organised in different parts of the country on different dates. The organisers of this year’s event participated on March 13, at the Collin Eglin library in Seapoint for the Cape Town event. You can check the videos HERE. Individuals can be seen naked or semi-nude, cycling their way out to participate in World Naked Bike Ride 2021.

Where will the event be held next? According to reports, the organisers have planned a similar rally in Britain on August 14, 2021. Last year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, Londoners attended a virtual World Naked Bike Ride event. However, it is not clear, if they are planning to shift the event online, or continue its tradition to cycle on the street, just like in Cape Town.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2021 03:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).