PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

NYC Critical Mass Continues to Face Repression
by Radio Collective Wednesday, Dec. 01, 2004 at 12:25 AM

Critical Mass bike ride in NYC faces massive police response.

This past friday, in addition to being declared Buy Nothing Day in opposition to consumerist gluttony, was also the date of the monthly Critical Mass bike ride held on the last friday of every Month. Last month Rustbelt Radio reported on the struggle for the rights of bicyclists in New York City since the Critical Mass in August of this year was assaulted by police before the Republican Convention. Over 250 out of some 5000 riders were arrested by the NYPD. Since then, the city of New York has tried to suppress the ride each month. In September, the NYPD seized parked bikes by cutting their locks, a move which was later declared illegal in court. In October, the city tried to get an injunction against the critical mass ride but the injunction was denied by a Federal Judge. Police made arrests anyway.

Despite these problems, the Critical Mass ride has continued in New York each month as it has for many years. On the November ride in New York on Friday November 26th, around 500 riders were met with the most overwhelming show of police force yet. The NYPD surrounded Union Square with over 50 police vans, 40 scooters, 600 police on bicycles, dozens of police cars, 20 flatbed trucks, 7 mobile police station and camera vans, and two helicopters. Loudspeakers greeted cyclists at Union Square, warning them that any who choose to ride would be arrested -- despite a Federal court ruling allowing Critical Mass to go ahead. Police also deployed orange nets to surround the square and block the bike ride. Many riders were arrested, while many others left on foot and reconvened in Washington Square Park for another ride.

And now, the City of New York's assault on bicycle riders is going beyond Critical Mass. New York City Councilmember Madeline Provenzano has introduced an anti-cycling bill before the council, which if passed would require every bicycling New Yorker over sixteen years old to obtain bicycle license tags from the NYC Department of Transportation. The bill stipulates that those who do not display such tags on their bicycles would be subject to up to 15 days imprisonment in addition to hefty fines and bicycle confiscation. A massive campiagn is underway to oppose the bill and defend the rights of bicycle riders.

Critical Mass rides take place monthly in cities around the world, including Pittsburgh. It is held on the last Friday of every month, at 5:30pm in Oakland, by the Dinosaur at the Carnegie Library.

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