Pat Dollard

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WND:

Nearly 200 half-naked, and some fully nude, bicyclists paraded through São Paulo, Brazil, to draw attention to world dependency on oil and what they call “negative social and environmental impacts of a car dominated culture.”

The bare cyclists were part of a larger World Naked Bike Ride demonstration by 70 cities in more than 20 countries to speak out against “indecent exposure to cars.”

Protesters rode bicycles, skateboards and roller skates and wore swimsuits and underwear, while a few stripped down to their birthday suits and painted their bodies. One man was arrested when he became overzealous and decided to remove all of his clothing.

“Our nakedness shows how we feel as cyclists riding in traffic next to motorists well protected inside their vehicles,” an anonymous demonstrator told Agence France-Presse.

The World Naked Bike Ride offers a brief summary of its mission on the group’s website:

“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 as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy.”

The São Paulo naked ride began Saturday at Avenida Paulista, where nudity was strictly prohibited by authorities. A police lieutenant said he was given strict orders to arrest anyone who displayed genitalia, though the group encourages participants to to shed their clothing to make a statement.

“The dress code is ‘bare as you dare,’ so please try to challenge yourself,” the website says. “Wear as little as you can while still feeling comfortable about it. … Many people find they get more confident as the ride progresses, so feel free to peel off as you go! ”