My bike is a political prisoner

bike cut, originally uploaded by Green Biker.

Still no word on how I'm going to get my bicycle back from lock down after the NYPD stole it

I heard a rumor that one person tried to get their bike back and the police issued them a ticket for "abandoning property" Huh? Does that mean every car that is parked out there right now is abandoned property.

If you haven't figured it out yet to police are being ridiculous.

Time's Up held a press conference today and NY 1 news had this to say in their top stories catagory:

Protest Riders Say Police Seized Bikes Illegally
MARCH 27TH, 2005

Some people who participated in Friday’s Critical Mass protest ride in Manhattan say police confiscated their bicycles without justification.

The riders say that once police threatened them with arrest, they got off their bikes and began to walk away from the rest of the group. But they were arrested anyway, they say, and their bikes were loaded onto a truck and taken away.

Other riders say they locked their bikes but that officer cut the chains with power saws and took them.

“I watched as my bike lock was cut by a saw by the NYPD,” Jaimie Favaro, a protestor whose bike was confiscated, said at a news conference Sunday. “I use my bike daily for commuting, and I am absolutely devastated about the illegal theft of my bicycle by the NYPD."

About 200 riders showed up for Friday’s ride, and 37 people were arrested.

Critical Mass organizes large rides through Manhattan on the last Friday of every month to protest pollution produced by vehicle traffic. The city and the group are involved in a court battle over whether permits are needed for the rides.

“You know we get together once a month to have this small action of peace and an alternative lifestyle that gets pretty violently challenged by the powers of the city,” said William Laviano, whose bike was also seized.

The NYPD says it confiscated 50 bikes in connection with a law violation. Police say bikes used in violation of the law will be taken regardless if any connection to a protest.