Group gets judge’s OK to parade nude in S.F.

The parade, held the day before the city-permitted, X-rated Folsom Street Fair, is being led by the same group of unclad activists who unsuccessfully challenged San Francisco’s antinudity ordinance, which took effect in February 2013.

San Francisco’s parade ordinance contains 12 reasons for denial of a permit, including the likelihood of physical injury or property damage, serious traffic disruption or interference with firefighting equipment or scheduled street maintenance work, or the prospect that the parade would last more than four hours.

[...] Seeborg said the ordinance “does not authorize (the police chief) to withhold approval on grounds that an applicant’s proposed event will have too few participants.”

“Now we’re going to be able to exercise our constitutional rights and our freedom of self-expression unobstructed by the police,” said Gypsy Taub, a leader of the nude activists.

There will be no arrests this time as long as the paraders stay within the boundaries designated by the permit, said Officer Carlos Manfredi, a police spokesman.

Matt Dorsey, spokesman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said the Police Department’s earlier denial of a permit had been based on traffic and safety considerations.