Wellington – Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard moved on Tuesday to ban a proposed motorcycle parade of topless porn stars down the main street of his city to advertise an Erotica Expo.

The parade was approved by city officials while Hubbard was overseas but he told Radio New Zealand the suggested “boobs on bikes” parade by up to 30 porn stars was “inappropriate” because it was advertising a commercial event.

He angrily denied a claim by organiser Steve Crow that he and other council members in New Zealand’s biggest city were against the parade, scheduled for August 23, because they were “religious nutters.”

Hubbard said he had asked council staff to examine historic by-laws to see if he could legally stop the parade.

While Hubbard was away, the council’s events and promotions manager Annabel Lush said the parade could “cause concern and offence to a number of people” but said it was not illegal to be topless in Queen Street.

Therefore, as long as the parade met traffic requirements it was the democratic right of the organizer to stage it.