Just in time for summer, Barcelona bans bikini wearers, shirtless men and nudists from its streets

Make sure to wear a shirt if you want to walk around in the stifling heat of Barcelona this summer, or you may pay dearly for it -- up to 300 euros!

Just in time for the tourist rush, the Spanish city known for its beaches and relaxed lifestyle has prohibited not only public nudity, but also the wearing of bathing suits away from swimming areas.

Beset by the hotelier and merchant lobby, who have protested for years that tourists walking around town with exposed torsos give Barcelona a bad image, the city council on Friday approved new legislation to prohibit and punish those who go down the street naked, bare-chested or in a bikini. The measure, which goes into effect next month, was approved just four weeks before municipal elections.

How the law will work

Complete nudity will only be allowed on Barcelona's officially recognized nude beach, Mar Bella, which is the only one in the city that has sand dunes, making it a somewhat secluded spot. Going shirtless or wearing swim-suits will be allowed only at pools, beaches and surrounding areas, such as the Paseo Maritimo stretching along the Mediterranean. Doing so anywhere else in the  city, including while strolling along the emblematic Las Ramblas boulevard or having refreshments at a sidewalk cafe, could result in a fine larger than the 200 euros one has to pay for running a red light: between 300 and 500 euros for going naked, and 120 to 300 for not wearing a shirt. In practice, local police will not fine transgressors immediately: nudes and semi-nudes alike will first receive a warning and an invitation to cover up. Fines will only be given to those who refuse to cooperate or who are caught again for the same violation.

Barcelona's police officers will probably easily recognize nudity when they see it, but how will they determine semi-nudity and its appropriateness? What is the difference between a woman wearing a bikini bathing suit and one wearing a pair of skimpy shorts with a bikini halter top? How far can a shirtless guy walk from the beach before being considered indecent? What happens if while a police officer is fining a bikini-wearing, shirtless couple who wander into a neighborhood near a beach, a sweaty construction worker without a shirt carries a heavy object out of building-site onto the street?

Barcelona on the cutting edge

While at least two other Spanish municipalities have passed legislation banning nudity, none have gone so far as to outlaw semi-nudity. In 2008 Alicante established fines ranging from 751 to 1500 euros for pubic nudity. The city of Las Palmas published an edict in 2004 stating that "nudity, when practiced in places of public transit, practiced en masse, or improperly, is no longer natural and becomes exhibitionism forced on others." Since there was apparently no fine or other punishment prescribed, I'm not sure how nude-free Las Palmas is today. But Barcelona's streets may soon be free of bikinis, swimming trunks and a few tourists.

Maybe next the city council will spend some time and money cracking down on another worrisome group of people who tend to freely wander Barcelona's streets, as well as its beaches: pick-pockets and purse-snatchers.

Cross posted on Newsvine.

Sources:
El destape urbano, non grato (Urban nudity, non grata) - La Razón (with video report)
No es un biquini, es un 'top' (It's not a bikini, it's a 'top') - El País

Bicycling News: Yesterday Hundreds; Today Thousands

YESTERDAY - Nude Cycling Demonstrations:
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Hundreds of “ciclonudistas” (nude cyclers) took to the streets of various Spanish cities yesterday for the 4th annual “bicicletada nudista” (nudist bicycle gathering). This year the events were held to promote bicycle usage and demand more bike lanes. Organizers claim that naked cycling demonstrates the vulnerability of human bodies on bicycles. As one cyclist put it, via speakers attached to his bike, "We are defenseless against automobile traffic!"
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In Barcelona about 150 cyclists rode around the center of the city to protest against the insecurity they feel and in honor of a bicyclist who was run over this past Tuesday. The 54 year old cyclist, who is a member of the local bicyclists organization Friends of Biking, was hit by a truck that had reportedly crossed over into the bicycle lane. The victim remains in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
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The demonstration started at the site of the accident at the intersection of Consell de Cent and Bruc streets, and then went on to to a stop in front of the city's Bicing office at Portal del Angel and finally to Plaza Jaume, where City Hall and the Provincial Government Headquarters are both located. Organizers read a manifesto at the end of the ride calling for, among other things, a moratorium on the creation of new bicycle lanes and the development of a program to educate drivers. At every stop cyclists were surrounded by photo snapping tourists.
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Meanwhile, in Madrid 200 or so nude protesters cycled down the Paseo del Prado from Cibeles Plaza up to Retiro City Park.
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Nudist advocate groups in Barcelona had called for the cancellation of the event on the grounds that it was "a provocation in a city in which it [nudity] is a right." In Madrid somewhat the opposite seems to have occurred, with nudists using the event there to stand up for their rights. That city's nude cycling contingency crossed paths with a group of 20 or so nude marchers, who walked to Spain's Congress of Representatives, where they hand delivered a letter in defense of the “right to go nude in public spaces." (While public nudity is not illegal in Spain, it is not protected by law either.)
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TODAY - Barcelona's Bike and Skateboard Festival:
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Today some 15,000 people participated in the ninth Barcelona Bike and Skateboard Festival. Cyclers and skateboarders rode from the city center to Plaza de España. There, at the base of Montjuïc, the city sponsored festival included demonstrations by well known cyclists and skateboarders, workshops, and various "freewheeling" activities. As in previous editions of the festival, the non-profit organization, Active Africa, had a collection point for donations of equipment and spare parts for bicycles.
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Oh, by the way, I didn't spot any nude cyclers or skateboarders at today's festival.
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Hasta la proxima amig@s,
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Carloz

Spain's Saturday News: The bulls, nudes and politicians are running!

The running of the toros begins in Pamplona. The bulls were after the crowds in the streets of Pamplona today for the first 'encierro' (bull run) of the Festival of San Fermin. Of course injuries are inevitable as throngs make a mad dash ahead of the two ton animals charging down the narrow streets, but only seven people have been treated for minor injuries so far.
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Last year, more than 200,000 people traveled to Pamplona, according to the city government, and even more are expected this year because the start of the festival fell on the beginning of a weekend. The major day of the festival is always July 7th, when thousands march and dance through the streets of Pamplona with an effigy of Saint Fermin.
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Every day of the festival has a carnival atmosphere, with rides, dancing and lots of wine and sangria. At night the partying intensifies, with street entertainers and large puppet-like 'giants' roaming around. Then in the morning, the encierro begins again.

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Click here for photos of the fiesta.
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The running of the desnudos, too. This past Thursday Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) organized a nude march through Pamplona. Animal rights activists wearing red scarves, fake horns and not much else chanted slogans such as, ''Bulls yes! Bullfighters no!'' and ''Torture isn't culture.''
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A statement on PETA’s website reads: “The Running of the Bulls and bullfighting are often justified as culture and tradition, but some traditions – like child labour and slavery – are bad and need to end.”

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Click here for photos of the event.
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Then there's the running of the politicos. El Pais reported today that according to a survey conducted by CIS (Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas), 45% of those surveyed who sRunning of theaw or listened to the debate thought Prime Minister Zapatero won, while only 16.5% thought opposition leader Rajoy did. In addition, 60% responded that Zapatero seemed knowledgeable about the problems facing the country, 70% that he demonstrated moderation during the debate and 63% that he handled criticism well. Rajoy scored 56%, 34% and 34% respectively on the same questions.
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Click here to see more of the results.