Hipsters battle Hasidim in Brooklyn with topless bike ride


A planned protest in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn may be difficult to pull off today, due to the epic snowstorm expected in the Northeast.

The furor began when a bike lane in the largely car-free city was removed due to complaints from local Hasidim regarding immodestly dressed women frequenting the lane. 14 blocks of bike lane were removed from the area, at a cost of thousands of dollars to the city. Locals like Heather Loop that regularly use the lane are infuriated city officials are putting riders in danger to cater to religious beliefs:

“If you can’t handle scantily clad women … live in a place where you can have your own sanctuary, like upstate,” said the 27-year-old Loop.

Loop, a bike messenger, plans to participate topless in a protest near sundown that is expected to draw at least 50 riders. Previous protests against the action include a “funeral procession” for the bike lane and an unauthorized repainting of the lane’s boundaries by frustrated bikers. No plans have been announced to reschedule or cancel the protest (hinted to deliberately coincide with large groups of Hasidic activity due to religious observances) despite the heavy snow predicted.

Since 2005, at least 87 bikers have been killed in accidents in the area, frequently commemorated by “Ghost Bike” memorials.

[Brooklyn Paper]

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