The “Bare With US” rally organized by three sisters who were stopped by a police officer 10 days ago for cycling topless drew at least 300 people in Waterloo, Ontario on Saturday.
Local police called the demonstration “respectful, peaceful and safe” as many of the women and men went topless and waved signs.
Organizers, who included the Juno-nominated jazz and blues singer who performs under the name Alysha Brilla, said they wanted to educate people – and police – about women’s right to be topless in public.
The idea for the rally was generated by an incident on July 24 when Ms. Brilla and her sisters, Tameera and Nadia Mohamed, decided to go for a late evening bicycle ride. It was a hot and muggy summer night, so they decided they did not need tops.
Everything went fine until, not unsurprisingly, they got stopped by a couple of cops in an SUV, who told them they had to put their shirts back on because it was the law.
Brilla said she told officers they was wrong. She said when she started filming the interaction on her cellphone, the lead officer said he had only wanted to check if the women had proper bells and lights on their bicycles.
Women in Ontario have had the right to go topless in public since 1996–five years after a Guelph University student named Gwen Jacob, who made an appearance at Saturday’s rally, was charged for committing an indecent act when she walked home shirtless on a hot day.
Ms. Brilla says she is amazed by all the attention the issue has received since she and her sisters first spoke out.
“I had no idea how polarizing the issue would be, I thought people wouldn’t be so disturbed by the female breast,” she said. “We just want to advocate and let people know that they do have this right.”
The Mohamed sisters hope to turn the rally into an annual event.
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