Biker Babes' Topless Demo

Updated:10:37, Wednesday March 03, 2004

Drivers in Florida are set for an eyeful this weekend when hundreds of women protest topless on motorbikes.

The demo is being organised as part of a campaign backing the rights of women to go topless in public.

Topless protest legal because it's political

Female biker Liz Brook is leading the protests.

"I never want to see another girl handcuffed and crying in the street because she yanked her top," said Ms Book, 42.

"Exposed breasts have been a part of the biker lifestyle for more than 50 years."

The protest would actually be legal because local laws permit nudity as part of a political protest.

It is due to be held on Sunday at the end of Bike Week in Daytona Beach, which attracts tens of thousands of riders.

Ms Book was previously arrested in 1998 when she bared her breasts in a bar during the event.

Women recently won the right to go topless in parts of Maine and Vermont.

Meanwhile, a group of women in Brevard County, Florida, have been dubbed the "Topfree 10" after filing a federal lawsuit seeking equal toplessness rights as men.

Referring to the planned Bike Week protest, a Daytona Beach police spokesman said: "It all depends on their behaviour. The complexion of any protest can change and it can turn into a lewd act in a heartbeat."