[05
JUN 00] FREEDOM TO BE YOURSELF CAMPAIGN NEWS
Naked Protestors Nearly Bare All By The Sea
Coventry
nudity campaigners avoided arrest in Brighton yesterday when they wore
a minimal amount of clothing in a march.
Members
of the Freedom To Be Yourself campaign went from the town’s Royal
Pavillion to the nudist beach wearing just enough clothes to avoid
arrest after police told them to cover up.
About
ten members of the group were involved in the protest.
The
Freedom To Be Yourself campaign is calling for the legalisation of non-sexual public nakedness.
Group leader
Vincent Bethell, who was arrested in the fountain at Trafalgar Square
two years ago when he jumped in naked, told a crowd on Brighton pier
that the attitude of the police had been one of “prejudice”.
Wearing
nothing but a sandwich board he told onlookers that he was “very
disappointed” with being told to be clothed.
He said:
“The
police victimise and persecute naked and non-sexual humans.
“When the
majority of people are aware of the present injustice, the
Government will design an 'Act of Parliament for the protection of
naked people.'”
A
police spokesman said:
"We
don't want people walking around the town totally naked. At the end
of the day this is a holiday resort and people will find it
offensive."
He
added:
"They
have compromised and are wearing as little as they possibly can. We
are satisfied with that. I am sure they will strip off when they
reach the nudist beach."
Future
protests are planned outside New Scotland Yard, home of the
Metropolitan Police on 15 July at 2pm.
There
will also be unpublicised protests outside the Houses of Parliament,
the Home Office, Downing Street and in various cities around the
country including Coventry, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Last June Bethell staged a protest walk in
Coventry from the fountain to the statue of Lady Godiva.
The history and details of Bethell’s
campaign can be seen in a Channel 4 documentary which will be screened at 3.35am this
coming Sunday morning.
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