Critical Mass March '07 Ride Report
UPDATE: Excellent full video report online at Channel 11
3 arrests - none cite the new parade permit rules.
47 tickets
Mendez rode the whole time but was not touched by the NYPD (good move on their part)
Notable last night was the arrest count was low compared to the last times the NYPD was making arrests. Freewheels, which helps arrested cyclists, speculated that arrests were likely low as mass arrests might jeopardise the City's defense in the 5 Borough Bike Club case. The 5 Borough Bike Club has asked the court to stop the police from enforcing the new parade permit rules. Mass arrests could make the NYPD look unreasonable.
Bike blog has an excellent accounting of what happened on the ride. Here is just a snip, the full thing is worth a read.
UPDATE 2: Another ride report at nyc.indymedia.org, including an account of a bike lift in Times Square.
There were tons of cameras and videographers on hand - expect to see plenty of imagery online in the coming days.
Photos: Link, A couple in VVoice Story
If you have photos or video and post to a link to the comments I'll add them here.
3 arrests - none cite the new parade permit rules.
47 tickets
Mendez rode the whole time but was not touched by the NYPD (good move on their part)
Notable last night was the arrest count was low compared to the last times the NYPD was making arrests. Freewheels, which helps arrested cyclists, speculated that arrests were likely low as mass arrests might jeopardise the City's defense in the 5 Borough Bike Club case. The 5 Borough Bike Club has asked the court to stop the police from enforcing the new parade permit rules. Mass arrests could make the NYPD look unreasonable.
Bike blog has an excellent accounting of what happened on the ride. Here is just a snip, the full thing is worth a read.
Right at the start the cops began to single people out and write summons to people who did not have a bell or a light or some other law on the books that is enforced about as frequent as someone driving on a cell phone.
The press swarmed in since it was right at the North end of Union Square and Park Ave. South and all the press was there to video tape the ride and put it on the 11:00 news.
The cops backed off a bit and made one arrest, just to save face and make the cyclists look confrontational...
The press swarmed in since it was right at the North end of Union Square and Park Ave. South and all the press was there to video tape the ride and put it on the 11:00 news.
The cops backed off a bit and made one arrest, just to save face and make the cyclists look confrontational...
UPDATE 2: Another ride report at nyc.indymedia.org, including an account of a bike lift in Times Square.
There were tons of cameras and videographers on hand - expect to see plenty of imagery online in the coming days.
Photos: Link, A couple in VVoice Story
If you have photos or video and post to a link to the comments I'll add them here.
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i took these photos @ Critical Mass