Bloomberg's Police Attack Critical Mass Bike Protest in NYC

[Dancing_Dave]

Strange backwards timeline at NYC IMC, read from the bottom to get the story.

http://www.nyc.indymedia.org/

Picures from the begining of the festive protest event
http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/104512/index.php

[htuttle]

1. It seems like they always hit Critical Mass hard before a protest

Didn't they do the same thing in Miami, etc...?

Maybe because it's the Friday before -- usually -- and they want to reduce the number of protestors by tossing them into the can? (and stealing their transportation).

[krkaufman]

3. But I'd heard that "Critical Mass" was a regular thing...

... so why bother with them. The only point seems to be to rile the protesters to the snapping point.

[htuttle]

4. It is a regular thing

I think it's once a month. They do it in dozens of cities around the country.

They never crack down on them anywhere I hear of except right before a larger protest.

[krkaufman]

6. Gotcha. Thanks. n/t

[Book Lover]

2. Village Voice blog

http://villagevoice.com/blogs/kamenetz/

Arrests at Critical Mass



35th STREET AND 6th AVENUE: My boyfriend, Adam Berenzweig, just got arrested while photographing someone else's arrest during the Critical Mass ride. Several people have been arrested at a major block in traffic. Updates soon.

posted: 08:52 PM | comments (0)

and Reuters just popped up with their short story: http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6093243

[tridim]

5. Arrested for taking pictures of an arrest?

How is that illegal? I have to assume they also plan to confiscate video cameras when the protests kick in. Sounds like the precedent has already been set.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[Book Lover]

9. I don't know the law

that is, how the law *might* empower the NYPD to confiscate cameras, but this is a link to the notice the NYPD reportedly posted passed out to the cyclists.

http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/104538/index.php

I wasn't there, so I don't know how the notice was distributed.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Davis_X_Machina]

10. This is going to make the cops look ridiculous...

...not make the protesters look dangerous.

All week, we were told to expect anarchists, Weathermen, etc.

What turns up?

Bicyclists.

To Mr. & Mrs. Middle America, 'bicyclist' equals 'weenie'.

You remember all the sports talk shows on AM radio saying 'cyclists aren't really athletes', and 'the bike does all the work for Armstrong', during the TdF last month?

The only thing less likely to cause Mr. & Mrs. Middle America to freak out would have been a Rosary-in by the Sisters of Charity.

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Here's the few pics that have been released

Boy they sure do look dangerous.





Not much, but the wires are letting out very many pictures at the moment. I think we are heading into some news blackout time for NYC.

[prolesunited]

13. I certainly hope more pics get out

These people do NOT look scary or intimidating at all. What threat?

[al bupp]

14. What They're Not Driving Cars!

That's treason! Lock 'em up, I say!

Now removing tongue from cheek...

[Gyre]

12. NYPD's timing is all wrong

They're going to light off the entire city if they keep acting like this!

[struggle4progress]

15. 264 arrested in NYC bicycle protest

From Jonathan Wald
CNN
Saturday, August 28, 2004 Posted: 1:46 PM EDT (1746 GMT)

<snip>
"Everyone was riding along when police suddenly penned us in and started picking people off," Maxwell said.

"The police actually caused more disruptions than the cyclists because they blocked off roads -- at one point for as long as an hour and a half -- whereas the cyclists were always moving."

Most of those arrested were taken for processing to Pier 57 and will be charged with disorderly conduct, an NYPD spokesman said.

The three-story, block-long pier has been converted to a holding pen especially for those protesting the convention so that city precincts will not be overrun by waves of arrests.
<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/28/rnc.bike.protest/