'We feel we will be unable to guarantee the safety of riders' – Naked Bike Ride in Brighton postponed because of clash with far-right rally

The 20th annual Brighton Naked Bike Ride, which was due to happen in the English seaside resort next month, has been postponed because a far-right rally organised for the same day risks exposing the cyclists to danger, according to organisers.

A counter-protest has also been called for Saturday 13 June, in the form of the Carnival Against Fascism, which progressives are promoting as a day of creativity, where “everyone feels welcome and it's a joy to take part”.

"The number of racists they can summon here are limited, not least because of our proud tradition as an inclusive and welcoming place," says a post by Carnival Against Fascism. "But for those that do show up: we intend to stop them from marching. We encourage all who oppose the racists to do the same using whatever methods they feel comfortable with. We will not stand by while they call for our friends, neighbours, colleagues and family, to be ethnically cleansed from our beautiful, diverse communities."

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One of many World Naked Bike Rides that take place around the planet, from Portland to London, the Brighton event has happened every year since 2006 (except 2020, because of Covid), and is part of a global movement that uses pedal power to protest against car culture and nudity as a metaphor to demonstrate the vulnerability of bike riders on the roads, as well as generally celebrating cycling and the human body.

However, in light of the two diametrically opposed protests now looking likely to take place in the same small town on the same summer day, the organising committee of the Naked Bike Ride this week made the “difficult decision” to postpone their long-planned 20th anniversary event, to avoid participating riders being put at risk.

"We have had experiences in the past, in Portsmouth and in London, where groups have targeted us and things have actually become physical," Simon from the Brighton Naked Bike Ride organising committee told CW. "You just never know who is going to agree or disagree with what you're doing. Nudity is one of those things that can really rile some people.

"Our ride was due to start at 2pm and go through the centre of town two or three times. If there is going to be a lot of people around, and a heavy police presence, it's a bit like a football crowd - very unpredictable. Basically, we have a responsibility to our riders to try and make things as safe as possible.

"We're meeting later this week to try and decide on a new date. I'm hoping it will be July or August, because September is getting a bit late."

The group only became aware of the planned march by the far-right a few days ago, and after making the decision to postpone the naked ride they put out a social media post outlining the situation.

"We feel we will be unable to guarantee the safety of riders, which is our main concern," the post explains. "This was not a decision we took lightly but amongst the committee members we felt we had no choice.”

"Brighton has a long and proud history of making our voices heard on many issues that affect us and we propose to postpone the ride rather than cancel entirely," the statement continues. "We hope to announce a date in the late summer to early Autumn to ride again. We are particularly sad as this will be our 20th ride and we're looking forward to making it the best yet."