{"id":919193,"date":"2026-10-03T15:14:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T15:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/919193\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T15:14:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T15:14:11","slug":"women-given-free-cycling-shorts-to-prevent-upskirting-on-oktoberfest-amusement-ride-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/919193\/","title":{"rendered":"Women given free cycling shorts to prevent upskirting on Oktoberfest amusement ride | Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

Women have been given free cycling shorts to prevent upskirting on a famous amusement ride at the Oktoberfest in Munich, after an investigation revealed tens of thousands of voyeuristic videos circulating online.<\/p>\n

The Teufelsrad or Devil\u2019s Wheel, which rapidly spins around while people try to sit on it for as long as they can, is one of the beer festival\u2019s oldest rides. But many of the videos discovered by German journalists focus on women whose traditional dirndl dresses have ridden up, often showing their underwear.<\/p>\n

The findings have revived concerns about upskirting \u2013 secretly filming or taking photos under someone\u2019s skirt without consent, which has been illegal in Germany<\/a> since 2020. It is punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison. But some women\u2019s rights advocates have said the law is not enough to stop the abuse.<\/p>\n

According to the research<\/a> by the Munich daily newspaper S\u00fcddeutsche Zeitung, more than 32,000 videos linked to the Teufelsrad were found on Meta platforms alone, some of them with millions of views.<\/p>\n

The operator of the ride, Elisabeth Polaczy, told the BBC she has been handing out free cycling shorts to women and girls wearing dresses to protect them from people filming them. She has given out more than 100 pairs during this Oktoberfest, which finishes on Sunday. \u201cI want to do everything I can to make people feel secure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

There are signs and police posters in German and English around the tent where the Teufelsrad is located that warn against filming under people\u2019s skirts. But Polaczy, 80, said it was difficult to control everyone filming with smartphones.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Bavarian police told the BBC they have put up posters at the Oktoberfest warning against upskirting since 2025.<\/p>\n

Police arrested a 45-year-old Swiss man for filming under a German woman\u2019s dirndl at this year\u2019s festival. In 2025 there were 10 arrests for upskirting and seven in 2024.<\/p>\n

skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter |Every day<\/p>\n

Sign up to Headlines Europe<\/p>\n

A digest of the morning’s main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n