The Free The Nipple protest in Edinburgh was billed as a Royal Mile Topless Takeover, and a hundred people showed up in support of the right for women to go topless in public.

The demo was held along with similar events in 60 cities around the world as part of the 8th annual GoTopless Day.

With the city in the hold of the annual Fringe festival, comedian Samantha Pressdee from Darlastan in the West Midlands was one of those taking part.

“We all came together to celebrate equality,” she said of the movement, which aims to relax worldwide laws to allow women to go topless whenever they choose.

Criminal act

US actress, director, and activist Lina Esco started the Free the Nipple campaign as a protest against the fact that it is a criminal act for women to be publicly topless in 37 American states.

High-profile support has come from celebrity Miley Cyrus. The turnout in Edinburgh indicates that the idea is catching on with women around the world.

Sunbathing session

With Edinburgh full of visitors taking advantage of cheap apartments for Fringe, it is estimated that between 50 and 100 women took part in the actual demo, which ended with a two-hour topless sunbathing session outside St Giles’ Cathedral.

GoTopless spokeswoman Rachel Jessee commented: “It’s liberating and empowering for women to free their bodies from repression. Freeing nipples and bodies frees minds as well, restoring self-image and self-esteem.”