OTTAWA – Leave Confederation Park in your birthday suit and you'll be leaving the World Naked Bike Ride in a police cruiser, officers told participants Saturday.
"I had my body painted, and was all ready to go when the police rained on the parade," wrote Colin Dan in an e-mail after he left the park in anger. "I had shaved a 'ka-pow' shape around my crotch just to emphasize the freedom and pride of being a human."
The world was denied the chance to observe Dan's skills with a razor after police told riders to keep their nether regions covered or face arrest. About 65 participants reluctantly put on their shorts or underpants and completed a partially naked bike ride instead.
Ottawa cycling activists have been baring it all for the annual protest against oil dependency since 2005. Participant Joseph Jude, a 49-year-old employee at a mental health agency, said this is the first time police have given them any trouble.
Jude said to his knowledge, out of about 75 cities that held naked bike rides Saturday, San Diego is the only one besides Ottawa where police banned full nudity,
"It just says that we're kind of, compared to other international cities, that we're very kind of provincial and very conservative," Jude said. "Our culture is so schizophrenic around sexuality and nudity. A child can go to a movie and see someone's head hacked off and that's acceptable, but to see someone naked, it's either very controversial or it's restricted."
Sgt. Paul Batista said there was one simple reason for his decision to turn the World Naked Bike Ride into the World Mostly Naked Bike Ride.
"Because it's against the law to be totally naked in public," he said. "I'm sure they didn't like my decision, but nonetheless they complied."
That compliance kept participants out of trouble but sucked a lot of fun out of the event, Jude said. "Everyone was disappointed. It's the one thing that really draws people's attention."
If Ottawa continues to insist it's too modest for a completely naked bike ride, Jude said riders will just have to come prepared in the future.
"It may mean people end up wearing G-strings, if that's about as nude as we can get," he said. "I hope it's not going to put a damper on things and no one's going to show up."
cbrownell@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/clabrow
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