On Tuesday, August 24, the women’s movement FEMEN celebrated Ukraine’s Independence Day in an unconventional manner, teaming up with Ukrainian bikers for a topless motorbike ride through the heart of Kyiv. The parade began at Sofiivska Square and saw the activists, adorned in traditional Ukrainian wreaths, riding powerful motorbikes through the city center.

According to the organizers, the topless women on bikes symbolized true Ukrainian freedom—free from stereotypes, state control, and authoritarianism. The activists chanted slogans such as “Independence is Us!” and “Independence is the Celebration of the Free!” Leading the procession was biker Ashot “Salvador” on a yellow and blue trike, accompanied by FEMEN activists Oleksandra Shevchenko and Inna Shevchenko.

“Independence is about freedom of speech and expression, the rule of law, equal opportunities, and prospects for development. We are proud to see that despite all the repression, we, the Ukrainian people, are not giving up and continue to prove our lineage from the ‘Cossack kin,’ not from criminal degenerates. The bodies and souls of FEMEN belong only to an independent Ukraine!” declared Oleksandra Shevchenko.

FEMEN criticized the traditional Independence Day celebrations, which are often marked by presidential speeches, military parades, and grand public spectacles. The movement denounced these events as remnants of Soviet pomp that have little to do with the true independence of the Ukrainian state, arguing that they are used to cover up the government’s anti-patriotic intentions.

“Women want to be free—from the president, from the government, from everyone,” the statement concluded.