Nude cyclists in Vancouver protest arrest

Special to The Canadian

CP - Naked cyclists converged on Vancouver's main police station Saturday after a man was arrested with his three-year-old son during a nude ride earlier in the day.

Naked Bike Ride spokesman Conrad Schmidt said six squad cars and a police van showed up as the group of about 75 naked cyclists arrived at English Bay.

He said the boy was in tears as police took him and his father away.

Schmidt said the arrest prompted the group to cycle through downtown Vancouver to the police station.

The ride went down the city's crowded Robson Street, stopping both vehicle and pedestrian traffic and drawing hoots and horns.

Vancouver police Const. Jana McGuinness said several people had called police, concerned about the child's well-being. Police arrived and reached an agreement with the man that both he and his child would wear underwear during the ride.

As he left to join the group on the ride, the man stripped his and his son's clothes off. The father was then arrested under public nudity laws.

However, McGuinness said it appeared the man regretted his actions.

"When they were leaving [the police station] it was under the understanding that perhaps he hadn't shown the best judgment. There were a number of people that took offence to the child being naked in the group and subjected to people's scrutiny," she said. "It sounds like it's been a good lesson all around."

Not all the cyclists who made the trip through Vancouver's tourist-crowded downtown core supported the protest.

One cyclist, who declined to give her name, said the man took off the boy's pants. She said most of the cyclists did not agree with the situation and would not be protesting.

"The leaders of this event do not support what the guy did," she said. "I think that's wrong. The kid's a minor."

Make Comments about this article in The Canadian Blog.

Subscribe to RSS feeds

Become a Member:

Would you like to see other similar articles and critical commentaries in The Canadian National Newspaper? Then, show your support. Make a member-pledge donation, in support of the Membership Drive of the Pro-Democracy Media Foundation.

The Canadian can only continue to publish investigative articles in such areas, with the donations from members of the public in Canada, the U.S., and abroad. Consider making a donation of $50.00, $75.00, $100.00, $200.00 or more. Donors are eligible to receive our first collector's print edition in mail. Alternatively, you can send us a note to be placed on our special email list of members. Member-donors can also suggest articles or commentaries to be published in The Canadian.

The Canadian is a socially progressive and not-for-profit national newspaper, with an international readership. We provide an alternative to the for-profit commercial focused media, which often censors vital information and perspective of potential interest to the diverse Canadian public, and other peoples internationally.

Become a member of The Canadian, with your donation-pledge. Help support independent, progressive, and not-for-profit journalism.