Capital next for Boobs on Bikes

Anti-porn parade to march ahead

A judge's refusal to stop today's Auckland Boobs on Bikes parade will probably lead to more topless parades with a Wellington version already planned, porn king Steve Crow says.

In a judgment released yesterday Auckland District Court Judge Nicola Mathers rejected an Auckland City Council bid to get an interim injunction preventing the Queen St parade.

The judge said that though opponents may find the parade offensive or tasteless, the fact that 80,000 people attended meant a significant number did not agree.

After the ruling, Mr Crow accused the council of "running roughshod" over the rights of organisers and spectators by trying to stop the event, now in its sixth year.

"They're breasts," Mr Crow said. "And New Zealand law says that women can have their breasts out in public or be bare-chested just like a man."

Mr Crow confirmed plans for a topless bike parade through Wellington on November 7 in the lead-up to the capital's first Erotica Lifestyles Expo.

Wellington City Council had not yet been asked for consent, but the parade would go ahead regardless and would feature a topless Prime Minister Helen Clark look-alike, Mr Crow said. "The ruling supports this, it is a legal event."

At least one more parade is planned, in Christchurch next year. Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast said she was not aware of any "plans to turn the arts and culture capital into the boobs capital of New Zealand". The mayor's spokeswoman also said the parade was not in keeping with the city's reputation for arts and culture.

Councillors Stephanie Cook and Celia Wade-Brown agreed. "I don't really see it as a Wellington-type event," Ms Cook said.

Ms Wade-Brown said she was no prude but believed the parade was offensive to women and the capital's diverse ethnic groups. "It's a bit of a display that says a man's life is about motors and boobs."

The Auckland parade had been refused a permit from the council, but only bad weather would stop it going ahead, Mr Crow said.

About 30 women are expected to ride topless today, including a married Christchurch woman who was parading with her husband's blessing, Mr Crow said.

Auckland Mayor John Banks said the council had received about 1000 e-mails and 150 submissions opposing the event. Councillor Cathy Casey - who initiated the court bid - was threatening to lie in the parade's path to stop riders.

Police said yesterday they had no power of arrest for bylaw breaches, which is what parade organisers could be accused of.

Mr Crow has threatened to take a private prosecution against Ms Casey if she blocks the bikers.

Family First New Zealand director Bob McCoskrie today called for the Government to amend the Summary Offences Act and the Crimes Act to make topless parades illegal.

"It's time the law started protecting and putting the welfare of children and families first," Mr McCoskrie said.

"The current law is far too liberal and vague and needs to be amended."

He said there was concern over the inconsistency of the law with police stopping three women parading topless through Hamilton on Monday, but sanctioning up to 30 to do the same thing in Auckland today.

Auckland Women's Centre and Stop Demand Foundation have organised a concurrent march - which they say is not a protest - and have been granted a joint Auckland City Council permit to do so.

Stop Demand founder Denise Ritchie said both groups would direct their message to the thousands of porn users that would be downtown and to the wider public, that pornography fuels sexual violence against women and children.

Ms Ritchie said sexual violence was estimated to cost the New Zealand economy $1.2 billion, $827 million being the loss of quality of life for victims, across an estimated 16,500 sex offences.

New Zealand's chief censor, pornography investigators and global research were unanimous in reporting hard core pornography, which made up the bulk of Mr Crow's commercial interests and profits, was increasingly cruel, misogynistic and degrading of women, she said.

"Female porn stars are paid big money to simulate scenes of rape, sexual violation and degradation for the purposes of male sexual arousal and gratification."

The group's main message is that sexual violence does not take place in a vacuum, she said.

"It is underpinned by attitudes and messages, many of which are fuelled and normalised by the hard core porn industry.

"In New Zealand, that fueller is self-proclaimed porn king Steve Crow."

The Pornography and Sexual Violence demonstration will march a short distance ahead of Mr Crow's parade and police will be in attendance.

- with NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News