Photo by Carlos Felipe Pardo, Wiki Commons
If you get enough people riding naked on their bikes through the streets, then Ruth Bader Ginsburg magically comes back to life and deranged leftists don’t have to worry about Amy Coney Barrett being confirmed to the Supreme Court. Or so goes the logic of one Portland (duh, where else?) group, who is putting on a naked bike ride event to protest…. uhh…. something. Because it’s Portland.
The event, called Full Moon Naked Ride, is being staged by a group called Shift 2 Bikes. Portland is usually a hot spot for things like the World Naked Bike Ride, which was cancelled this year because of Covid. It’s set for Thursday evening, with the initial gathering point in Northeast Portland.
Ride under the full moon! Masks required. Protesting the Senate fast tracking the appointment of a replacement for Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. You can wear clothes if you want to. Weather forecast is 86 degrees! Ride rolls along at a moderate pace, with breaks. We’ll try to visit all 5 quadrants.
That’s right, the only article of clothing required is a covid mask.
How is this even legal? Well, because it’s Portland, the courts, police, and city officials did enough mental gymnastics to conclude that because the naked bike riders are technically “protesting” then it’s protected 1st Amendment free speech, as the Oregonian explained earlier this year in an article about the yearly World Naked Bike Ride being cancelled:
However participants go about it, it’s important that they make it clear that they’re protesting, Sinnott said, to remind the public that nude cycling in Portland isn’t done just for fun. The World Naked Bike Ride is officially a protest against dependency on oil, and protesters often show up for other causes, like body positivity and cyclist safety.
Public nudity is actually illegal in Portland, but court rulings have made an exception for protests. That’s covered the mass protest of the World Naked Bike Ride, but it might not necessarily cover individuals or small groups.
The Portland Police Bureau said in the past it has allowed people to participate in the World Naked Bike Ride as long as they stay on the route with the rest of the riders.
Additionally, BikePortland.org clarified regarding a past World Naked Bike Ride event:
But there’s one compromise more important than any other: The fact that the police are willing to look the other way when they see fully nude adult bodies rolling gleefully down our public streets. Yes, technically it’s illegal to for adults to be naked in public if there’s someone of the opposite sex within view. Of course this law isn’t ironclad and there are court precedents around free speech and protest; but the police could make the Naked Bike Ride a lot less naked if they really wanted to (sort of like how they could have let Critical Mass continue if they would have permitted the illegal — but safe and entirely reasonable — practice of allowing large groups to roll through stop signs; but I digress).
Today the Portland Police issued the following official statement to clarify their position on this issue:
In past years, this event has drawn an estimated 10,000 bicycle riders. According to the World Naked Bike Ride website, the event is an annual, worldwide bike ride that highlights the vulnerability of cyclists everywhere and decries society’s dependence on pollution-based transport.
The Portland Police Bureau will have officers dedicated to the event to ensure everyone is safe and to provide assistance at intersections. There may be short traffic delays and drivers or non-participants are asked in advance for their patience.
Portland City Code 14A.40.030 (Indecent Exposure) states the following:
It is unlawful for any person to expose his or her genitalia while in a public place or place visible from a public place, if the public place is open or available to persons of the opposite sex.
Although many participants may violate the letter of the Portland City Code, the Police Bureau will be exercising discretion for this protest event as long as participants stay on the route with the rest of the riders. People who “start early” and potentially disrupt other neighborhood events not associated with the official ride may not receive the same discretion.
At a bare minimum, the Portland Police Bureau recommends that riders at least wear a helmet and shoes to avoid any potential injuries. Bike lights are also highly recommended for riders as well as plenty of water or fluids.
We can only hope Portland never stops being a beacon for deranged far left stunts.
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