A-Infos (en) US, NYC, RAT #4 - Still We Ride! Critical Mass and the NYPD's War on Bicyclists

   On the last Friday of every month for almost a dec-
ade, New York City has been host to a regular Criti-
cal Mass bicycle ride,just like hundreds of
other cities around the world. Most of these
events have been nothing but festive, celebra-
tory reclamations of our public streets from
dangerous, polluting, alienating car culture.
Aside from giving participants an opportunity for fresh air,
exercise, companionship and a rare feeling of safety
while riding a non-polluting vehicle on NYC's streets,
Critical Mass often inspires spontaneous cheers from
pedestrians and even drivers, and for years has been
escorted by cops on scooters.
   Unfortunately, things changed in the summer of
2004 when mayor bloomberg's administration effec-
tively forbade any spontaneous gatherings or political
demonstrations of any kind during the Republican
National Convention in August. In a decidedly anti-
Bush city simmering with revolt, the Critical Mass
ride falling on the eve of the convention provided
the kickoff to the week's protests and facilitated a
grand manifestation of celebration, dissent and
popular power in the face of warmongering politi-
cians and
police repression. That ride rolled over 5000 deep;
police responded by arresting 263 participants and
confiscating scores more bikes.
  As recent court decisions have shown, the NYPD
vastly overstepped its authority in the over 1800 ar-
rests it made during RNC; the city government
has been found in contempt of court over the length
of detentions, and police officers have been caught
lying on the stand thanks to video evidence. One
might suppose this would cause the bullies in blue
and their
corporate masters to step off a little in handling fu-
ture events; unfortunately, it seems they just couldn't
let a grudge go. Unbelievably, police continued to
assault and arrest riders and seize bikes in both
September and October, when NYPD undercover
officers started fights at an after-party hosted by the
urban environmental group Times Up!, resulting
in numerous indiscriminate macings and arrests
when "backup" arrived seconds later. Dozens of
bikes were stolen despite a federal court injunction
barring the police from doing so.
   In fact, every court decision has gone Critical Mass's
way, including a ruling barring the city from forcing
riders to acquire a parade permit, confirming that
legally as well as literally, bicycles ARE traffic.
  Almost every ride since August has featured hun-
dreds of officers ordered to disrupt the ride, endan-
gering lives by chasing bicyclists into traffic and tack-
ling riders off their cycles to arrest them for "traffic
violations" (ticketable offenses), later cutting locks to
"confiscate" bikes as "evidence". This is without regard
even to the fact that over 125,000 New Yorkers ride
their bikes to work or for work everyday.
   Why? Because we scare them. Bicycles and other
sustainable, human-powered transport are good for
the environment and participatory civic life, bad for
car culture, the war machine and business as usual.
Riding through the streets in a big mob with friends
and strangers is good for community interaction and
empowerment, and bad for a society ruled by fear
and billy clubs. Victory is ours - in the courts, in the
streets, and in the future. STILL WE RIDE!
   Critical Mass usually meets on the last Friday of
every month at 7pm at Union Square. Other meeting
locations will be Washington Square Park and Tomp-
kins Square Park. For more information on Critical
Mass and bicycle activism in general, check out:
            Times Up! at 49 E. Houston St.
                   www.timesup.org
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