San Francisco residents who like to relax
around town naked will have to keep their pants on.
The city's Board of Supervisors approved a
public nudity ban Tuesday in a 6-5 vote.
As soon as the measure passed, some
protesters inside City Hall tore off their clothes. Authorities draped them in
blue blankets and led them away.
Supervisor Scott Wiener, who supported the
ordinance, disputed claims that the measure violates freedom of expression.
"We're a city that believes in
freedom, and we've always believed in freedom and free expression," Wiener
told CNN affilite KGO. "But taking your pants off at Castro and Market and
displaying your genitals to everyone, that's not free expression."
But some nudists have filed a lawsuit
claiming the ban violates their First Amendment rights.
"Is the First Amendment more powerful
and more important than the passions of an intolerant mob and the ambitions of
one or more city supervisors? We would contend that it is, and that's what our
case is based upon," the nudists' attorney, Christina DiEdoardo, told KGO.
Those caught naked in public could face
fines of $100 to $500, depending on the number of prior offenses. A person who
violates the ordinance three times in a year could also face one year in jail.
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