Cyclists in Brussels are nothing out of the ordinary, but anyone out and about last Saturday might have stopped to stare at a rather less usual sight as some 200 cyclists cruised the capital's streets stark naked.
The titillating event was part of the 'World Naked Bike Ride' which takes place each year in cities around the world to raise awareness about the vulnerability of pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to condemn urban pollution and fossil-fuelled vehicles.
The cyclonudista initiative was born in Zaragoza, Spain in 2001 out of the Critical Mass cycling initiative – a global movement that sees hundreds of cyclists, roller-skaters and the like travel en masse through city streets on the final Friday of the month. Not only for fun, the action puts road safety in the spotlight and underlines the environmental impact of a car-dominated culture.
But the history of Brussels' own naked bike ride is a bit "more personal", one of the main organisers by the pseudonym 'Jérôme Naturel' told The Brussels Times.
Jérôme arrived in Brussels in 2004 and quickly discovered the city was not at all adapted to cyclists. He joined the Critical Mass movement but still found that the issue received little attention from mainstream media. In his eyes, Brussels lacked policies and the political will to make the city more bike-friendly.
He therefore launched the first naked bike ride in June 2005 – a celebration of bikes and bodies that really caught the eye. Although it initially sparked controversy, the protest has been "systematically recognised and authorised by police for several years."
As a result, Jérôme says that concrete solutions are finally being developed (such as the somewhat controversial Good Move mobility plan), notably by Belgium's environmental parties (Groen and Écolo).
He says that the situation has dramatically improved in the last five years: "We've seen an incredible increase in the number of cyclists because people are now able to cycle safely."
Sun's out, bums out
Departing from Square Frère-Orban in the centre of Brussels at 14:00 on 17 June, the disrobed demonstrators passed around the Schuman roundabout in the European Quarter, Cinquantenaire Park, the Sablon, Place Poelaert and Place de la Bourse, and returned to Square Frère-Orban at around 18:00.
Participant numbers vary from year to year, depending on the weather and how well the event is publicised. This year around 200 bare-backed bikers took to the streets.
Jérôme impresses that the bottom line is "to get media coverage to get our message across." This year's ride was particularly successful as the "three main Belgian television channels covered the event extensively, as well as the print media."
"We're particularly hoping to raise awareness of the need to make cities safer for cyclists, but also fight against pollution, noise and to improve quality of life in general." The highlight for Jérôme is that people are able to "protest and party at the same time... it's a very happy event."
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World Naked Bike Ride 2023 took place in Melbourne on 12 February, in Rio de Janeiro on 17 March, in Vienna on 7 June, in London on 10 June, Vancouver on 24 June, and at many other locations around the world.
