Free the nipple! Topless women inspired by Scout Willis take to the streets of New York City to protest internet censorship



Scout Willis caused quite the stir when she strolled topless through New York City to protest internet censorship, and it appears she's part of an even bigger movement.

On Sunday, about 20 male and female protesters took to Washington Square Park in the name of the same cause, proudly parading around topless and trying to recruit more activists to join them.

Free The Nipple, the group responsible for the protest, also used the opportunity to promote their upcoming feature film about their endeavors 'to end this insane war on women's boobs!'

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The right to bare breasts: On Sunday, about 20 men and women took to Washington Square Park topless to protest internet censorship rules in the name of an organization called Free the Nipple

Activists: Free The Nipple also used the opportunity to promote their upcoming feature film about their endeavors 'to end this insane war on women's boobs!'

Free The Nipple founder Lina Esco, 29, writes on the Fund Anything page for the film: 'Today, in the USA it is ILLEGAL for a woman to be topless in 37 states. In New York City, in 1992 it became LEGAL to be topless in public, but the NYPD continued to arrest women.



'I believe these laws do not reflect the dream upon which the United States was founded.'

Some of the women in the group went completely topless for the protest, carrying signs that read 'F*** censorship'.

'I believe the laws do not reflect the dream upon which the United States was founded'

Others wore T-shirts or donned strategically placed stickers with the words 'Free The Nipple' on them, announcing their cause to bewildered onlookers.

Lina, an actress and filmmaker, decided to stage the event after Scout Willis - the 22-year-old daughter of Bruce Willis and his ex-wife Demi Moore - posted Twitter photos of herself walking around the city topless.



Scout used the hashtag #FreeTheNipple and captioned one shot: 'Legal in NYC but not on @instagram.'

Fighting for a cause: Some of the women in the group went completely topless for the protest, carrying signs that read 'F*** censorship'

Girl power: Free The Nipple was founded by actress and filmmaker Lina Esco (second left)

Strength in numbers: Some male protestors even stepped out to join the demonstration

Scout explained the logic behind her topless posts in an article on XOJane, writing: 'Women are regularly kicked off Instagram for posting photos with any portion of the areola exposed, while photos sans nipple - degrading as they might be - remain unchallenged.

'So I walked around New York topless and documented it on Twitter, pointing out that what is legal by New York state law is not allowed on Instagram.'

She acknowledged that her actions may have been misunderstood as a cry for attention, but insisted: 'I didn't choose my public life, but it did give me this platform. A platform that helps make body politics newsworthy.

'I am not trying to argue for mandatory toplessness, or even bralessness,' she added.

Central message: 'The mission of this film is to help free us from corporations and law makers who are banning our art, social media, TV and films,' Lina (pictured) writes on her website

Inspiration: Ms Esco decided to stage the event after Scout Willis - the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore - posted Twitter photos of herself topless on the street, with the hashtag #FreeTheNipple

Double standards: Scout captioned one of the topless photos: 'Legal in NYC but not on @instagram'

'What I am arguing for is a woman's right to choose how she represents her body - and to make that choice based on personal desire and not a fear of how people will react to her or how society will judge her. No woman should be made to feel ashamed of her body.'

And that's exactly the message that the Free The Nipple organization is trying to spread.

'My public life gave me this platform. A platform that helps make body politics newsworthy'

In a trailer for the film, a group of girls is seen promoting the cause in New York and running into trouble with the police. A banner on the screen reads: 'What is more obscene - violence or a nipple?'

A voiceover then says: 'Every day the media plays glorified images of violence yet discourages nudity. And so many of our heroes solve problems through killing and violence. We need new heroes, new stories. And we need them now.'