Despite a day of near-constant rain, organizers of Portland's Emergency World Naked Bike Ride went ahead with their plans to protest on Sunday—the clouds miraculously parting just before the meetup time of 2:30 pm. Hundreds showed and rode in the buff or in solidarity with the buff.
The ride's summer version is a protest against dependence on oil that celebrates body positivity and alternatives to car transport. But since the emergency demonstration was held in the cold and rainy fall, participants were encouraged to show up wearing whatever they needed to be comfortable. Plenty who didn't strip wore light-hearted or political costumes.
Organizers said the emergency ride was a demonstration, asking Portland's City Council to revoke the land use approval for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland.
“The vulnerability of bodies could not be more explicit than seeing our neighbors kidnapped off our streets while at the same time those who protest at the ICE facility are dealing with being brutalized,” read a release from several groups who collectively planned the event.
Protesters gathered at the set time—during a miraculous break in the day’s heavy rains. After a brief die-in demonstration on the Burnside Bridge, hundreds continued on to the ICE facility, which is a few miles south of the city’s downtown.
We asked photojournalist Elayna Yussen to capture the bridge die-in. Here are her photos:
