Several topless women have taken to the streets in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to join other clothed protesters to demand the right to sunbathe semi-nude.
The protests sparked after police asked some bare-breasted women to leave a nearby beach. The incident, which occurred in January, has sparked many smaller protests throughout the country. It is however unclear whether the law in Argentina allows women to go topless in public beaches or not.
Police, however, defended their stance citing a national criminal code article prohibiting "obscene displays" to justify asking women to leave a beach if they are seen topless. At least one judge has reportedly ruled after the incident that going topless in the country is not a crime.
The women protesters gathered in Buenos Aires are arguing that women should have the same rights as men to sunbathe topless. During the demonstration, many women were seen with slogans painted on their bodies and carrying signs that read, "The only breasts that bother them are the ones that aren't for sale."
The protesters said the incident on the beach only exemplified the social inequality between men and women in Argentina.
"In many places, when a woman reports gender violence, they don't listen, but when a woman shows her breasts they send so many police," said Grace Prounesti Piquet, a 33-year-old photographer with the words "The breast is not a crime" painted in pink on her back.
The women protesters were not alone, a large number of male spectators turned out to witness the spectacle.
