Crazy Cyclist

Clashes between Winnipeg police and anti-military protesters turned violent with at least seven protesters arrested. Protestors said police pulled them off bicycles. The confrontation happened around 5 PM when about 50 protesters under the watchful eye of survellance police bicycled through city streets to protest Operation Charging Bison, a military training excercise underway in Winnipeg.

The flare - ups came as the cyclists held up traffic while cycling from the Exchange District to the Pioneer Arena on Logan Avenue, to protest the war training excercise. The clashes happened at two different locations - three people were arrested at the intersection of Ellice and smith street, and four more outside the Pioneer Arena.

The cyclists identified themselves as members of a movement called Critical Mass, described on one website www.bike-dump.ca (this is the website the paper didn't print) as " leaderless group of cyclists, boarders and bladers, celebrating human -powered transport"

The cyclists say they weren't chanting or holding up signs, but had advertising on websites that the group bike ride was in Protest of Operation Charging Bison. The cyclists were outnumbered by the police.

One of the protestors said" She only became involved in the fight when police pulled one man off his bike and other cyclists attempted to go to his aid, from there it was a melee.

CastIron

I'm curious why Critical Mass would go off-message. It's self-destructive.

baj32161

Another example of the short-sightedness of CM riders. Purposely causing traffic tie-ups in major cities is not the best way to make your point or draw any sympathy to your cause. Perhaps a regular sidewalk protest would have been a better choice in this instance, especially since the issue had nothing to do with cycling.

lrzipris

The major points of conflict between police and left activists these days, in the States at least, involve (in no special order) animal rights activists, environmentalists, and CM (particularly in NYC). Some of the tactics used to arrest and prosecute have been borrowed from anti-terrorist legislation. Perhaps with its recently-elected Conservative prime minister, Canada is borrowing US policies about such things.

operator

CM can say anything it wants, not everyone agrees since it is a leaderless ride.

iamlucky13

Violent? Violent means people get beat or shot or something. As far as I can tell, they were arrested for deliberately holding up traffic. Forcefully yes, but resisting arrest is illegal, too, and makes it hard to uphold the law without applying some measure of force.

I don't know the details and wouldn't be surprised if the police over reacted (were the cyclists asked to leave the street or surrender themselves to arrest before being pulled off their bikes?), as often happens when people are flagrant about breaking the law, but sensationalist reporting doesn't help anything.

Machka 

Those critical mass people are forever getting arrested there. IMO all they do is to make the drivers in Winnipeg hate cyclists even more than they already do ... I think the attitude toward cyclists in that city (and I lived in Winnipeg for 13 years so I'm quite familiar with the attitude toward cyclists there) would improve significantly if the critical mass people would disband and cease all their nonsense.

Saintly Loser

CM is pretty active here in NYC. Personally, I can't stand them. I believe that for them, the protest is the point, not a means to an end. They seek confrontation and intentionally do as much as possible to annoy anyone in their path during their rides.

fmw

Glad they were busted.

Cyclist0094

That sums it up exactly! I supported CM until few years ago. I went on a NYC CM ride in 2004 it wasn't pretty then. It was a just a rolling mob intent on pissing off as many people as possible. Spitting on cars and calling cops pigs is not productive cycling advocacy.

Saintly Loser

Exactly. There is a group in NYC advocating for cycling issues -- Transportation Alternatives. They actually get results sometimes.

Albany-12303

Anarchist Cycists eh?

I say they should ship them of to Afghanistan with their mountain bikes to hunt for Osama!

oilfreeandhappy

I like the idea of the massive bike ride, but I agree that these other actions are unnecessary. I also don't think they should hold up traffic. In other words - do it, but keep it legal and peaceful.

baj32161

+1

baj32161

++++1!!!!!

brokenrobot

Depends on what you call results. If you get a new bike lane striped but cannot get parking enforcement to keep cars out of it, are you really getting results?

brokenrobot

You must be French or, worse, a liberal - saying that ANYONE ought to be looking for Osama is a distraction from (or a disparagement of) the Iraq war, and is therefore treason!

thorton

An example of there mindset


https://cmforum.florenceart.net/viewtopic.php?t=35

thorton

A disclamer, Im sure not all of them are like that at all. But if you allow opinions such as those in a group to be seen publicly, it sets a image for your organization.

ZachS

i think it would be nice if people could just go on a group bike ride without jackass protestors OR the government interfering.