750 Australian Women Bare All to Protest Looming War
see previous stories below on nude people protesting war
See also Florida Men Strip for Peace
From News.com.au (Thanks, Harry)
750 women go nude in protest
08 February 2003
HUNDREDS of women bared all today in a visual anti-war demonstration on a hillside near the northern NSW beach town of Byron Bay.
More than 750 female protesters shed their clothing during the protest, lying naked end to end on a grassy knoll on a private property, to form a heart shape around the words "No War" for an aerial photograph.
Australia has sent troops and approved an RAAF fighter squadron deployment to join US and British forces in the Gulf preparing for a possible war in Iraq.
But it has yet to publicly commit itself to joining any UN-approved or US-led military action in Iraq.
Today's larger-than-expected turnout for the 'Disrobe to Disarm', prompted by a imilar protest in the US, even surprised organisers.
"I was completely overwhelmed," Australian jazz and blues singer Grace Knight, who led organisational efforts for today's protest, told AAP.
"I needed at the very least 67 women and I prayed for 250, and we got more than 750.
"What that tells me is that 750 women came and took the opportunity to get quite uncomfortable in a field - I know I felt quite uncomfortable - because we thought that was the only way we could get the federal government's attention."
The former Eurogliders lead singer, speaking while rushing to catch a flight to Tasmania where she has a gig this weekend, said the nude protest group included babies, teenagers and elderly women.
"There were 80-year-old women there whose husbands were Vietnam war veterans," Knight said.
"We wanted to spell out a clear message very quickly, so we used the words: 'No War'."
She said that with hundreds choosing to bare all in the protest, and that it was limited only to women, demonstrated that many Australians were "extremely angry and frustrated" about involvement in a possible war on Iraq.
Australian comedienne, Mandy Nolan, assumed the role of 'Mistress of Undressing', synchronising the protesters and helping them through the disrobing protest, which was done in seconds, Knight said.
Easing participants' nudity nerves with humour, Nolan dubbed the event the "bush against Bush" protest.
One middle-aged woman had the words "Bare it all for the boys Down Under" written down her back.
"The protest was not visible to any other public area, we were there to ensure the women were not bothered by outsiders," a local policeman told AAP.
Smaller anti-war protests were staged elsewhere on in NSW and Queensland today.
The Byron Bay protest was one of a number of similar nude protests around the world, in a climate of increasing anti-war sentiment.
Late yesterday (AEDT), about 30 women scurried into the heart of Central Park in New York City, disrobing amid steady snowfall to display their deep misgivings about war.
In shivering temperatures, the American women used their naked bodies to spell out the words, "No Bush".
Prime Minister John Howard left Sydney on Saturday on a week-long trip in which he plans to meet with US President George Bush as well as UN, British and Indonesian leaders.
LINKS
Naked for Peace - 'Amazing' San Francisco (where else?) based site.
See UK group: http://www.barewitness.org/ ; info@barewitness.org
More Below.
CONTACT
Margaret E. Kosal 217.352.7714
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Midwest Women Lie Naked in the Snow for Peace
Champaign-Urbana, IL 26 January 2003 A group of women from central Illinois felt compelled to use the shock of their naked bodies to send a message to the world that the women of America’s heartland oppose a US-led war against Iraq. Rather than staying warm at home, they went out into below-freezing temperatures to be vulnerable for peace. Lying on a freshly snow-covered ground with sub-zero wind chills, they linked together to form the word “PEACE.”
This photo marks the 9th photo contribution in a spontaneous series that began as a pro-peace demonstration staged on November 12th by a Baring Witness group from Marin County California. On that first action, 46 women posed naked in the word “PEACE”; a second event grew to 96 women in late December and was accompanied by a concurrent group of 24 men who also staged a pro-peace protest by forming a peace symbol with their naked bodies.
This startling form of protest has inspired people all over the world to stage similar protests against war. From Salt Lake City, Utah to McCurdo Station, Antarctica and from Gainesville, Florida to East Sussex, England - the international spelling bee is spelling out the pro-peace message with their bodies.
PEACE - it’s such a simple word, but it has so many connotations in the current political climate. “You’re either with us or against us” has become national rhetoric, and so, it takes a certain amount of courage to speak out against war these days. For a group of middle-American scientists, teachers, home-makers, librarians, journalists, entrepreneurs, mothers and students ranging in age from 20-62 to act out publicly, stripped of clothing in the winter cold takes even more courage.
Photo available online at www.ucimc.org/newswire/display/9041/index.php
<http://www.ucimc.org/newswire/display/9041/index.php> More information on Baring Witness available at www.baringwitness.org <http://www.baringwitness.org/> .
Point Reyes Light - January 2, 2003
Nude women protest war again; men also demonstrate
By Ivan Gale
Seeking to "reinvigorate the buzz across the country" from its first photo of women spelling "Peace" with their naked bodies, organizer Donna Sheehan and her group, Unreasonable Women Baring Witness, staged a second, much larger nude peace protest and photo shoot near Point Reyes Station on Sunday.
The sandy shore of Drake’s Beach, rather than a rain-sogged Love Field in Point Reyes Station, was the venue for some 94 women along with more than two dozen men who created two new and separate signs for peace.Click on photos for larger image
Impressed with first picture
Many women who participated in this weekend’s photo said they either didn’t hear of the first event until it was over, or couldn’t attend because it was during the week.
"I was impressed with the first one," said Mary Prudhomme of Inverness and San Francisco, who said she felt like Americans opposed to the White House’s war plans are living in a silent majority. Prudhomme decided to join the second event.
"I just thought, ‘this is something I wanted to do.’ I have no clue if this will make a difference but figured any kind of publicity can’t be bad," said Prudhomme.
Though the first photo enjoyed a splash of success, being picked up in local, national, and international news outlets, even organizer Sheehan conceded the first photograph was "media-dead."
Invigorated with determination to prevent war with Iraq and a ever-growing populate of participants, Sheehan said she decided to continue the campaign for non-violence with another, much larger "Peace" photo.
"The more we do, the better," said Bolinas resident Vivienne Verdon-Roe, who said the first photo inspired Bolinas residents to stage their own version of a "Peace" photo, albeit fully-dressed and incorporating children and dogs. A second Bolinas photo is slated for Saturday, Jan. 11, where all who participate will create a "No War" sign with their clothed bodies.
Bonded at shoot
Along with creating a statement for peace, the participants also bonded at this weekend’s shoot.
"There’s a certain level of defiance, and it’s also just a fun thing to do," she said. "And after the shot, we all got a little wet to get the sand off."
"It was automatic," said local singer and Point Reyes Station resident Rhiannon of camaraderie after the protest photo. "We all ran into the cold, glorious water. It was a great moment.
We were washing each other off – The whole thing was very body, very human, very physical. And at the same time, we felt we were doing the best we can to represent the humans who don’t want to go to war."
While the women were comfortable with the second go, the men’s shoot was a new experience for all involved.
Participant Paul Reffell, despite an air of nervousness and uncertainty, said he walked away feeling enthusiastic over the experience of men forming a peace symbol with their bodies.
"Once we were there, we started feeling like we were involved in something different," said Reffell. "It was like family. It was just a wonderful thing."
Big event planned
Organizers said Sunday’s gathering is only the beginning for Baring Witness, as the group plans to demonstrate in the nude as part of a mass demonstration called the National March on Saturday, Jan. 18 on Market Street in San Francisco and in Washington DC. Event organizers said they hope up to more than 100,000 people participate at both demonstrations, naked or clothed.
In addition to lead photographer Jan Watson of Point Reyes Station, the event was captured by photographers Christopher Springman and Oscar-winner John Korty, both of Point Reyes Station, as well as Michel Fraser of San Francisco
A film documentary of the group’s efforts to impact politics through naked protest and imagery is also underway, Sheehan said.
Until the demonstration in January, Sheehan and her partner Reffell will continue spending their time "coaching and inspiring" other people in nearly a dozen cities to create their own "peace" photos.
Point Reyes Light Cover | News | Coastal Traveler
Page created January 11, 2003 by Charlie Jenks.
