williamw

About 5 bicyclists were arrested after riding barely a block tonight. More arrests were made later. I don't have much else to say. I'll rant somewhere else. Chat amongst yourselves. Photos here:

https://www.untitledname.com/archives..._mass_f_1.html

https://www.untitledname.com/archives...al_mass_f.html

Will

Dchiefransom

I can sleep better tonight now that the police have arrested those "thuggish" looking criminals.

I have never seen more "Mom and Pop", "Mr and Mrs Cleaver" looking types in my life.

randya

Same thing happened in Portland last night. The Mayor ignored the ride this month (he rode about halfway with us last month), the motorcycle pigs were out in force again, about one for every ten cyclists, $247 tickets for totally bogus violations flowed freely from their pens and pads...

Yoshi

I think one of the guys getting arrested in your photos posts on this board...

MattP.

so in NYC there was a critical mass ride and ppl got arrested for it? doesnt seem right....

hi565

this may sound stupid but what exactley is a Critical Mass? Is it protesting? Why are they gettting arrested? there just people with bikes, i think the cops are trying to act tuff again

2mtr

From the website:
"NYC Critical Mass. 17th Street and 5th Avenue. Manhattan, New York.
NYPD arresting people for riding bicycles. No crime was involved."

There was a crime involved. Those pigs were touching those nice bikes AND arresting people for no good reason. Pigs.

dobber

The 60's are over, Link want's his fro-pick back.

elcabron

I love it.

I think it's Linq, with a Q. Could be Lincque?

Takes me back.

To quote Los Lobos:

"Too tired, too tired
Baby
To hold my fist so high.
Is it still time
for Revolution?"

El Cabron

dobber

It's Linc

Solid

nycm'er

Look Ma its me! This is what happens in NYC on the last Friday of the month, around 8pm, if you ride though a GREEN light with an undetermined number of other bikes. I can't really get into details, but me and another rider pictured agreed to "Courteous Mass", went one block down 17 from Union Sq. waited at the red at 5th Ave, the rest of the ride went through, we got nabbed as the cops caught those who obeyed the signal. (Note: the one time I have obeyed a signal in days, I get arrested) The charge is parading with out a permit. The cop loudspeakers were saying that it is illegal to be in a procession with bikes in New York City. We asked cops before the ride what defines a procession. NONE could tell us. Not a guess at a number, nothing. I was obeying the law as were the other 6 who went for the ride to the station. I believe the 26 street and broadway bust yielded 6 to 8 more. (as well as one flying tackle on a smallish woman.) The 26th street peeps came to the 9th precinct with us. There may have been more who were taken to other precincts. The Cops were very professional and rather nice. My arresting officer (pictured) was very gentle. We were out in @3 hours; our bikes are still in the Stir though.
I have heard that posting pics is not that easy, so some nice witness did it for me, thats my Surly, my taped up beater.

Good eye Yosh.

dobber

I think you meant "perps", you scofflaw.

wfisher

What were you charged with exactly? What's the fine/punishment for the charge and does this mean you have to hire a lawyer?

Yoshi

That actually came up IIRC, someone had taken their bike to a deli to buy some food, and ended up joining the mass on the way back. Got arrested, showed the receipt from the deli and had the charges dropped.

nycm'er

Parading with out a permit and Disorderly Conduct.
Don't know about the lawyer. The National Lawyers Guild has been all over the rides and past arrests. Several lawyers are taking this issue on a pro bono basis. I am unclear on their relationship to the NLG. Not sure if the pro bono bit pertains to me. I am not too worried though, we'll see.

blueminer

Look, Ma, it's me, too!
I'm one of those surly lookin' fellas that got pinched last Friday and I must say that NYC is far safer with me incarcerated. So much for following rules with the expectation of being recognized for such. the Courteous Mass thing didn't work so well. Parading with out a permit is a charge I can handle (although I really don't think such a law exists), but the disorderly conduct is just a strait up lie. I swear I was probably the most cordial person in all of Manhattan before, during and after my arrest!
I must also say that my arresting officer was quite a gentleman and wasn't too into the fact that he had to take us in. The officers are given directives from their superiors and must follow them. It's their job. I do, however, have a beef with the commissioner (whose name escapes me). That %$#& has had a hair up his since the RNC and has been wasting valuable resources to harrass some of the most upstanding people in the city.
Anyway, I'll round up another bike and be there next month. See y'all there!

williamw

At 17th and 5th I took my helmet and bike and gave them to a friend to hold up the block so I could take those photos. If you'd like a free high res photo of yourself getting arrested, drop me an email (william (*@*) untitledname (*dot*) com. I imagine it would make a great holiday card, or heirloom photo for the fireplace mantle...

Anyways, good luck with court. I assume you're already talking with gideon, right?

nycm'er

Thanks for taking the photo Will. I didn't even see you. And thanks for your offer as well, I am sure we will talk.
To answer a previous question, supposedly we face a $100 fine as well, a violation, not a misdem or anything. Also the guy in the green hat is a legal observer, (that is what the green hat says and denotes) and he got pinched too. A new trend since the RNC. He was waiting at the light and did not break any laws either. That is what we are looking at here. Intimidation. I think we find out today when we get our bikes back. If cops impounded cars for the same supposed violations as this, there would be very few cars here.

lrzipris

Why, how did one of the NLG legal observers (the fellow in the distinctive "hi-vis green" cap) get arrested? LOs are supposed to stay removed from the action, otherwise the purpose of having LOs present is defeated.

chicharron

So, excuse me, as I am just a naive Mid-Western rube reading this. My question: what is the point of this particualr acitivity? Were you trying to get arrested to make a particular point? If so, what was the point? The message? I think I missed somthing.

nycm'er

The 6 of us incld. the LO were obeying traffic signals. We obeyed all of them... we only were faced with one before we were jumped. Apparently NYPD doesn't recognize or care about LOs anymore. He or someone else may have more info on this but since the RNC, the LOs are free targets too. All of us were polite and calm and in no way disorderly. Our arresting officers were joking with us and relaxed because they saw we were not riotous or violent. We had to of been the easiest collars of their careers. I was standing middle of the intersection watching my bud get jostled when my arresting officer came up to me.

Chich- I will let you and anyone else who is unclear what Critical Mass is, google it. There are many threads debating the validity of the approach to Crit Mass, so you can search these forums as well. Lastly the site that does not organize but sends out reminders about rides (in NYC) is times-up.org.
I, and I do believe everyone who was arrested in my group of 6 were absolutely not trying to be arrested. Speaking for myself, I have a Federally issued license I wish to protect and keep in good standing. My in-laws to be, were coming to town and I had not yet seen them. Lastly I don't believe in wasting money or time, esp. cops, there is a lot of crime in this city, but this is where the NYPD thinks the taxpayers money is well spent.

Roughstuff

hehe....you and a few million other cyclists who have spent, collectively, millions of man years and millions of passenger-miles on this nation's roadways and have co-existed with traffic the whole time. As usual, the whole country gets dragged into a tizzy because a few city blocks don't have enough room for all the people who feel everyone else should be someplace else.

Looking at the photos, i notice that Critical Mass has adopted a new mantra. The old one was 'we aren't blocking traffic...we are traffic.' The new one seems to be ...drum roll please...
cycling is not a crime.

I must admit, I am always leery of a group that changes its motto with the changing seasons (the democrat party comes to mind). But when they go from one ridiculous logo to another, I get extra suspicious.

roughstuff

nycm'er

roughstuff always makes such concise points.... I was not blocking traffic and my arresting officer and a Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs officer could not explain before or after what makes up a procession or a parade. Thus I was not committing a crime when I was arrested. Nor has a number been defined by the courts. If you ride a bike this effects you, without a doubt.
Let's not bring in politics, we shouldn't muddy the waters of this thread, eh roughstuff?

Roughstuff

Oh by all means. Please do not muddy the thread by saying I accused you of blocking traffic, committing a crime, whatever, when I did not do so. My point was about CM's initial motto and its latest one. An earlier post asked what CM ride ares all about, and I addressed that question by saying, in so many words, that they are about absolutely nothing.

roughstuff

chicharron

I hadn't intended to take a particular side in any debate,but instead truly wanted to know what this "Critical Mass" stuff was all about, and why those people in the photo's were being arrested.