Demonstrators have promised to ride bikes down Bedford Avenue naked this evening to protest the recent removal of a bicycle lane amidst mounting pressure from South Williamsburg's Hasidic community. But will the so-called "Freedom Ride" actually happen?
If it takes place, the protest is expected to draw clothed, nude and semi-nude bikers to a 14-block stretch of Bedford Avenue where the city sandblasted a bike lane allegedly due to pressure from the Satmar Jewish community (a group that reportedly opposes bike lanes scantily clad bikers, amongst other reasons). Cycling activists then repainted the lane, but some of them were charged and the city buffed the roadway again.
The naked ride — which isn't the first demonstration for the recently removed cycling path — has come under fire from both cycling advocacy groups and Hasidic activists. The bike group Transportation Alternatives issued a statement declaring "[a] bike ride of people in provocative undress doesn't make Bedford any safer, and undermines efforts to bring north Brooklynites together to solve this problem," while Hasidic spokesman and failed City Council candidate Isaac Abraham told The Brooklyn Paper that the naked protest "will be an insult to the entire Jewish community."
“We urge and plead with you to reconsider the way the people want to protest and respect the religious believes of our community as well as the moral and respect of all New Yorkers...Don’t take out your anger and frustration of the bike lane removal on the entire community, when it was only one individual who stated that ‘the dress code’ was the problem. The entire community [has] always stated that safety and parking was the issue.”
And what about the weather? The naked bike riders told the Daily News they'd wait until after sundown at 4:29 pm so as not to interrupt the Jewish Sabbath — but by then it's expected to snowing with the temperature hovering around 26 degrees (not counting wind chill). If anyone checks out the protest — or takes part in it — feel free to send information, photos, or videos to tips@gothamist.com.
