Topless Women March For Rights In Venice Beach
VENICE BEACH (CBS2/KCAL9) -- Why do men get to go topless and women get in trouble if they do the same? That was the question more than 200 people asked Sunday in march on the Venice Beach boardwalk for topless womens' rights.
Protesters got a permit in advance and skirted the law against topless women by covering nipples with red tape, Band-Aids and other makeshift pasties, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The group marched about a mile from Navy Court to Windward Avenue under close scrutiny by police, but no one was arrested for indecent exposure.
The protest was organized by gotopless.org in conjunction with demonstrations in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Denver, Miami Beach and Seattle.
According to reports, the nearly topless women drew plenty of attention and photographs and some bystanders flashed their own breasts in solidarity.
"It's not just about taking pictures -- you got to back the cause and wear a bikini top, men," topless protester Kat Kaplan, a dancer and rapper, told the crowd through a megaphone.
About 50 men put on red bikini tops supplied by organizers to show their support.
Protesters also held signs that said, "Free your breasts! Free your mind!" and "Demand topless equality."
As the march was about to start at 2 p.m., two counter-protesters arrived from the Bible Believers church in Los Angeles.
"Women and men are completely different. Just because men do things doesn't mean women need to do them," yelled Mark Steven, wearing a "Trust Jesus" T-shirt. "You ought to be offended -- there's kids here!"
