Women to parade topless through NY as part of global campaign

Women will parade topless through the streets of New York on Sunday, flashing their breasts in the name of feminist liberation as they celebrate annual GoTopless Day.

The marches are organized by women's rights group GoTopless, which campaigns for women to be able to go shirtless across the world.

It is already legal for women to bare their breasts in public in America's biggest city, and police will seal off the route of the parade from Columbus Circle to Bryant Park, organizers said.

Dozens of people are expected to take part when the march begins at 12:30 pm (1630 GMT). Parallel events will take place in Los Angeles' Venice Beach as well as other US and European cities.

"People should not feel that it needs to be a taboo" to go topless, said the head of the group's New York chapter, Rachel Jessee, who is also an actress, model and performer.

"It's a human right, and women should be created equally, but a lot of people view it as something very sexual."

She told AFP that forcing women and girls of a certain age to cover up subjected them to "shame and embarrassment," which is "not healthy for the mind."

GoTopless believes its campaign has been given a shot in the arm by the 2014 comedy film "Free The Nipple" and celebrities such as Miley Cyrus flashing their breasts in public.

Both men and women are invited to take part in Sunday's events, which fall a few days from the 95th anniversary of Women's Equality Day, when American women were given the vote.