Times Up's the New York chapter of Critical Mass describes themselves;
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.
The NYPD has failed in their Attempts to Criminalize Bike Riders taking part in Critical Mass. The Police Department has always stood firmly against pedal power but a passionate hatred grew out of the Critical Mass demonstration during the Republican National Convention.
Over a week and a half surrounding the RNC, police arrested nearly 400 bike riders. Since then, activists and civil liberties groups say the City of New York has been targeting bicyclists and Critical Mass in particular.
More below.
The new tactics included trumping up charges so riders were locked up overnight instead of being released with a summons. Charges became "Disorderly Conduct" and "Parading without a permit" while bicycles were often confiscated without any charges.
A night in jail for failing to stop before entering the crosswalk is blatant intimidation!
The Public Relations department of the NYPD claims the aggressive tactics against these bicyclists is in the interest of public safety. Five thousand pound SUV's are chasing twenty-eight pound bicycles on sidewalks, so as to keep New Yorkers out of harms way!
The suppression of these riders by a battalion of cops has some other motive than public safety. To the NYPD these young riders represent a dangerous throwback to the days before "Free Speech Zones." Critical Mass represents solidarity in a movement toward a common goal. A rally of young people grabbing the media's attention could lead us back to the good old days when public opinion was heard.
The lawyers for the NYPD actually tried to take away their right to advertise the time and dates when Critical Mass meets.
To the force that Unplugs Cindy Sheehan in the same Union Square, deliberately inciting Riots during the Republican National convention and places citizens in pens, Critical Mass must be stopped or other forms of free speech may occur.
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.
There is a war against Critical Mass and anyone who uses non-motorized transportation. In 2005, the NYPD issued 45,558 tickets to bicyclists. Many times the charge was riding without a bell.
A court victory for Critical Mass in October of 2004 (Times Select required) failed to deter the cops.
Bill DiPaola, executive director of Time's Up, an environmental group that promotes the monthly ride, responded last night, saying he was surprised by the arrests. ''Given the victory in court, we were shocked at the police presence,'' he said.
Witnesses said that at least four more people were arrested early this morning after about 200 of the cyclists gathered for a post-ride party at the storefront office of Time's Up on Houston Street.
Although the circumstances remained unclear, the witnesses said that a large contingent of police officers suddenly arrived at the storefront, apparently responding to a report of overcrowding.
Another ruling against the NYPD last week made for a more successful ride this Friday. From the Village Voice on February 21, Critical Impasse. "With arrests growing and two cops hurt, Critical Mass gets messy."
The NYPD declined to comment on last month's accident or on the high-speed chases that bikers say followed in midtown. But from the bikers' descriptions, the cops and cyclists responded with stunts worthy of The French Connection. "There were two [undercover] black SUVs gunning it on the heels of 15 or 20 riders," reports Mark Read, a 38-year-old filmmaker and adjunct professor at New York University. "We took a left just to get away and went the wrong way down a one-way street, and the SUVs followed us into oncoming traffic and drove up on the sidewalk. It was fucking berserk."
Activists say police are escalating their tactics in an effort to break the ride. "They've been playing with fire," says Ryan Kuonen, a volunteer with Time's Up, the grassroots environmental group that is being sued by the city for promoting Critical Mass.
Last week, a State Supreme Court judge declined to restrict Time's Up and others from publicizing the event and refused to grant an injunction against the rides, chiding the city for not finding a better way to work things out with the cyclists.
Yesterday's Village Voice update, Critical Mass: NYPD Carries Smaller Stick This Week tells a story of fewer summons and no arrest.
The NYPD switched up its game at Friday's Critical Mass ride. Instead of making mass arrests for protest charges like disorderly conduct and parading without a permit, cops cited cyclists with traffic violations, then let them go on their way.
This apparent backpedaling of its hardline stance comes after yet another judge refused to outlaw the monthly bike rides, chiding the city for not finding a better way to work with the cyclists.
And it follows reports in both the Voice and The New York Times of police engaging in high-speed chases and reportedly reckless arrest tactics.
This breath of fresh air for the bicyclists may be temporary. The NYPD is appealing the ruling and still seeking to put a stop to organized bicycle riding in New York City.
Due to urban horror stories of being brushed back by riders and sometimes being forced to wait even though the pedestrian has the right of way, Critical Mass has a bad reputation. It is only once a month in a city where being intimated by automotive drivers happens more than more that once a day. They are very noisy young riders but the sounds they make don't come anywhere near the constant honking of car horns that the NYPD never seems to do anything about.
If you have no sympathy for Critical Mass, I urge you to read this story.
Critical Mass doesn't receive a whole lot of good publicity but neither does the ACLU. Call these riders whatever you want but it is undeniable that they are Freedom Fighters. They went to court and fought for their right to ride a bicycle in New York City.
That is a victory for freedom of speech in an era when civil rights have very few checks in the win column.