Police Pursue & Arrest NYC Critical Mass Bike Riders

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Critical Mass - New York City: police rush to Union Square

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Friday, April 29, 7 p.m., Union Square - NYC

April 2005 is the 12th birthday of Critical Mass in NYC, and it may
be its last. Police swarmed into Union Square attempting to stop and
arrest participants. As police
arrived on the scene wearing helmets and carrying batons with zip tie
handcuffs prominently strapped to their legs, some of the crowd
dissipated, while others hung
around to see what would happen and to protest, but by this point a
solid pack of riders had already taken off to ride together on the city
sheets, as is their monthly tradition. Squads of Police soon took off
on scooters in pursuit that
wound it's way throughout the city. Witnesses reported seeing a large number of police vans and a few cars chasing critical mass up 8th ave, unalbe to get within 6-8 blocks of the group on bike. At one point a group of approximately 30 police on scooters turned down 18th street - going the WRONG WAY on a one-way street in an attempt to circumnavigate and cut off the group.

According to the New York City CM group web site, "Critical Mass
is a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of
transportation, exercising their right to the road. Critical Mass is a
movement, not an organization; no two riders participate for exactly
the same reason. New York City's first Critical Mass was in 1993. Rides
take place the last Friday of the month, every month, 7:00 p.m.,
starting at Union Square Park North."Bicyclists riding under
the decentralized Critical Mass umbrella gather in over 325 cities all over the world to take over their streets.

The
monthly event in New York City has at times attracted up to 5000
participants, stretching as many as 10 city blocks when they hit the
streets. The city has made attempts in the past to stop the event unsuccessfully, and CM groups themselves have taken legal action against the city. Critical Mass riders maintain that, "CM is a celebration of cycling, not a
war against motorists. CM is about asserting our right to the
road, not denying others their right to the road".

The city's crackdown comes at an interesting time in their battle against critical mass - in May, the documentary, "Still We Ride"
will be released, covering the pre Republican National Convention ride of August 2004, during which 264 people were arrested in one of the largest mass
arrests in New York City's history.