Quick clarifications
So a lot of rumors floating out there about the Friday Critical Mass. First off, the guy who helped the injured police officer...
Is not a cop! He is an EMT and volunteer bike mechanic for TIME'S UP. See, we care.
There is someone accused for felony assault. I do not know if this person is still in jail. Another arrestee, who was nabbed after critical mass was long over, was in jail till about 9:00pm yesterday. This was due to forgetting about a ticket for public urination....oooohhh, almost as big a crime as bike riding.
Sarah Ferguson-village voice reporter, has updated her report about the ride:
Critical Chaos: Two Cops Hurt, 17 Arrested at Mass Ride
By Sarah Ferguson | January 27, 2006
The monthly Critical Mass ride in Manhattan took a turn for the worse tonight when two scooter cops slammed into each other as they were trying to head off the flow of cyclists.
Less than 10 minutes after leaving Union Square, a pack of about 100 bikers was moving south on Third Avenue when a line of 14 scooter cops patrolling alongside abruptly veered left to cut off the ride.
One scooter cop slammed into another scooter, throwing the cop several feet from his scooter. He landed hard on the pavement, hitting his shoulder and head, as the scooter cop in back toppled over. A cyclist who identified himself an EMT stopped to assist the scooter cops, who were sprawled out on the street, before ambulances came to take them away on stretchers.
The two cops were treated for back and neck complaints at Bellevue Hospital, but a police spokesperson said the injuries were not believed to be serious.
"He was thrashing about in pain. His entire upper left torso was numb, which is a sign of deep impact," said Luke Son of the first cop who flew off his scooter. A Columbia student and licensed EMT, Son volunteers as a bike mechanic for Times Up, an environmental group which promotes the mass ride as a demonstration against "car-culture."
Cops on the scene were clearly pissed. "He landed straight on his head," said one scooter cop who asked not to be identified. "It's not fun and games any more."
-------------------------
Barbara Ross, of Time's Up, wrote this press release on the situation of the NYC January 27th Critical Mass...
ime's Up! calls on the police to end their attack on Critical Mass now that it is apparent that their tactics create a dangerous situation for the public and themselves.
NEW YORK, NY (JANUARY 28, 2006) -- EMT-licensed cyclist Luke Son was the first responder in an incident where two police scooters collided while chasing participants in last night's monthly Critical Mass bike ride, January 27, 2006. "The behavior of the undercover agitators has gotten progressively more dangerous and what happened tonight is a perfect example. People are getting hurt on the streets," said Time's Up! volunteer Barbara Ross. Son, a volunteer mechanic with Time's Up!, stated that as scooters were blocking the line of riders and driving into cyclists, he witnessed one police officer slam his scooter into another. Son dismounted, yelling "I'm an EMT," and attended to the fallen police officers, fully aware that other cyclists were being arrested next to him. "I just went into emergency mode, and I dropped my bike and made sure the scene was safe."
Despite the evident dangers of such behavior, police continued later that night to use hazardous tactics in their attempts to prevent cyclists from continuing to ride. Cyclist Aaron Grogan recalled that "as we rode through midtown, an unmarked police SUV forced its way through the mass at high speed, exhibiting reckless disregard for the safety of every rider in its path." Grogan asserted that these vehicles stopped suddenly and unpredictably in front of cyclists, often attempting to "door" the riders by opening their doors as bikers were riding alongside. "It is evident that even the most obvious of safety concerns take a back seat to their obsession with making arrests," Grogan stated.
Nine arrestees were held at the First Precinct and seven at the Ninth.
TIME'S UP! is a non-profit environmental group that has been using educational outreach and direct action for the last 15 years to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city.
---------------------------------------
Thanks to all that came out for the Time's Up/Bike TV screening at the space. AWESOME turnout.
Next stop is a party for the bicycle film festival at LIT bar. Monday, January 30th, 10pm-4am. 93 2nd Ave. @ East 5th St.
bicycle film festival
Is not a cop! He is an EMT and volunteer bike mechanic for TIME'S UP. See, we care.
There is someone accused for felony assault. I do not know if this person is still in jail. Another arrestee, who was nabbed after critical mass was long over, was in jail till about 9:00pm yesterday. This was due to forgetting about a ticket for public urination....oooohhh, almost as big a crime as bike riding.
Sarah Ferguson-village voice reporter, has updated her report about the ride:
Critical Chaos: Two Cops Hurt, 17 Arrested at Mass Ride
By Sarah Ferguson | January 27, 2006
The monthly Critical Mass ride in Manhattan took a turn for the worse tonight when two scooter cops slammed into each other as they were trying to head off the flow of cyclists.
Less than 10 minutes after leaving Union Square, a pack of about 100 bikers was moving south on Third Avenue when a line of 14 scooter cops patrolling alongside abruptly veered left to cut off the ride.
One scooter cop slammed into another scooter, throwing the cop several feet from his scooter. He landed hard on the pavement, hitting his shoulder and head, as the scooter cop in back toppled over. A cyclist who identified himself an EMT stopped to assist the scooter cops, who were sprawled out on the street, before ambulances came to take them away on stretchers.
The two cops were treated for back and neck complaints at Bellevue Hospital, but a police spokesperson said the injuries were not believed to be serious.
"He was thrashing about in pain. His entire upper left torso was numb, which is a sign of deep impact," said Luke Son of the first cop who flew off his scooter. A Columbia student and licensed EMT, Son volunteers as a bike mechanic for Times Up, an environmental group which promotes the mass ride as a demonstration against "car-culture."
Cops on the scene were clearly pissed. "He landed straight on his head," said one scooter cop who asked not to be identified. "It's not fun and games any more."
-------------------------
Barbara Ross, of Time's Up, wrote this press release on the situation of the NYC January 27th Critical Mass...
ime's Up! calls on the police to end their attack on Critical Mass now that it is apparent that their tactics create a dangerous situation for the public and themselves.
NEW YORK, NY (JANUARY 28, 2006) -- EMT-licensed cyclist Luke Son was the first responder in an incident where two police scooters collided while chasing participants in last night's monthly Critical Mass bike ride, January 27, 2006. "The behavior of the undercover agitators has gotten progressively more dangerous and what happened tonight is a perfect example. People are getting hurt on the streets," said Time's Up! volunteer Barbara Ross. Son, a volunteer mechanic with Time's Up!, stated that as scooters were blocking the line of riders and driving into cyclists, he witnessed one police officer slam his scooter into another. Son dismounted, yelling "I'm an EMT," and attended to the fallen police officers, fully aware that other cyclists were being arrested next to him. "I just went into emergency mode, and I dropped my bike and made sure the scene was safe."
Despite the evident dangers of such behavior, police continued later that night to use hazardous tactics in their attempts to prevent cyclists from continuing to ride. Cyclist Aaron Grogan recalled that "as we rode through midtown, an unmarked police SUV forced its way through the mass at high speed, exhibiting reckless disregard for the safety of every rider in its path." Grogan asserted that these vehicles stopped suddenly and unpredictably in front of cyclists, often attempting to "door" the riders by opening their doors as bikers were riding alongside. "It is evident that even the most obvious of safety concerns take a back seat to their obsession with making arrests," Grogan stated.
Nine arrestees were held at the First Precinct and seven at the Ninth.
TIME'S UP! is a non-profit environmental group that has been using educational outreach and direct action for the last 15 years to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city.
---------------------------------------
Thanks to all that came out for the Time's Up/Bike TV screening at the space. AWESOME turnout.
Next stop is a party for the bicycle film festival at LIT bar. Monday, January 30th, 10pm-4am. 93 2nd Ave. @ East 5th St.
bicycle film festival
posted by Michael Green at 6:22 AM
-->
3 Comments:
Thanks for helping to clear up the NOT AN UNDERCOVER COP issue. That became very annoying very quick.
All current events aside, I sjst wanted to say thanks for having this blog out as a resource. You may remember when I emailed you way back when I first moved to NYC looking for ways to hook into the bike scene. Now yer writing about me. Go figure.
-Luke
"He landed straight on his head," said one scooter cop who asked not to be identified. "It's not fun and games any more."
Ah, so hassling CM and arresting people for riding thier bikes is considered "fun and games" by the cops? No wonder they're so zealous about it.
Something smells like karma...
These cops are mad at the cyclers because the cops themselves are riding recklessly? That's one of the dumbest things I've heard in a while. The cyclers didn't do anything dangerous to cause that officer to crash. It's the cops themselves who are being dangerous, to themselves and to the cyclers. How dare they try to blame it on the cyclers!
Post a Comment
<< Home