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NYPD Targets Cyclists During RNC

Anonymous

A few days before the Friday, August 27 Critical Mass bike ride, the NYPD issued a letter to a representative from Transportation Alternatives, a bicycle advocacy group here in the city. The letter warned that cyclists’ routine breaking of traffic laws during the monthly ride would not be tolerated during the RNC, and requested that Transportation Alternatives essentially help police other riders. The letter functioned as a familiar attempt by authorities to divide “good” activists over and against “bad” activists. The NYPD’s language falsely assumed that Critical Mass is an organization, when in fact it is a semi-spontaneous phenomenon with (usually) no leaders or pre-planned routes.

Critical Mass rides take place on the last Friday of every month in hundreds of cities around the world. Cyclists typically take over some traffic lanes, disregard red lights and engage in “traffic calming.” It is meant as a reminder of the need for clean, non-combustion transport and for the rights of its practitioners. Critical Mass is ultimately a
peaceful statement against the hegemonic and destructive culture of cars.

The “RNC Ride” was perhaps the largest Critical Mass ever in New York City, as an estimated 6,000 took the streets on bikes or blades and departed from the usual meeting site at north Union Square. As anticipated by the NYPD, the mass was larger than its NYC average (1,000-2,000) due to out-of-towners visiting for the anti-RNC protests. The mood was festive in the extreme as many donned costumes and sounded noise-makers. Bystanders on the sidewalks were overwhelmingly receptive and supportive, clapping and wooing, and joining in on anti-Bush chants (when they were not initiating chants themselves).

The ride covered territory throughout mostly mid-town and downtown, this time not leaving Manhattan. Despite some police presence on the sidelines, everything was fine until the end of the ride. By this time (around 9:30pm), the mass had been split by police into two separate masses: one apparently smaller segment still moving around in midtown; and the other, larger segment attempting to enter St. Mark’s Church on 2nd and 10th for an after-party. This larger segment formed a largely immobile glut that was stuck in the streets along 2nd Avenue and which took up approximately three blocks or more. As riders locked up and slowly trickled into St. Mark’s, police lines began to approach from the rear - and then all - sides.

Alarmed riders yelled for everyone to lock up their bikes and get on the sidewalk. Many did so, some casually and nonchalantly - lucky for them, because soon police on foot and scooters and with batons would fill the intersection and others adjacent. What ensued was a chaotic and tense standoff (riders - surrounded by police - surrounded by riders and bystanders) that lasted hours as police arbitrarily arrested riders and confiscated bikes. Some locked bikes in the vicinity were cut loose by cops and confiscated. The smaller contingent that had split off in midtown suffered a similar fate. Approximately 350 riders total were arrested and taken into temporary custody. Those arrested faced violation charges including disorderly conduct, parading without a permit, and failure to stop at a red light.

On Sunday, August 29, activists put out a call for a bike bloc in support of the large, permitted United for Peace and Justice march. Bike blocs are contingents of cyclists that assemble to join into or support larger marches. About 150 cyclists assembled around 11am in a small triangle adjacent to Union Square. The riders departed some time between 11:30 and 12, and again, people on the sidewalks were overwhelmingly supportive and cheered them on from the start. At some point in midtown, apparently undercover police in plainclothes arrived at the rear of the bloc on motor scooters and drove wildly towards its front, weaving dangerously between bikes, and hitting or brushing some cyclists. Once at the front, the plainclothes officers attempted to form blockades on their scooters across intersections at red lights. Riders confusedly but obediently waited at the blockades until lights turned green, at which point the cops still did not move themselves, prompting riders to ride around them. Inquiries by riders (“What are you doing? Why are you doing this?”) were met with sarcastic answers or no answers at all. The police never identified themselves as police or gave riders any directives.

This blockade scenario happened a few times until finally, at 7th and 37th, the scooter police were supplemented by a gaggle of uniformed officers on foot who charged at the bloc, knocking several riders off their bikes, and boxing it in with orange mesh fences. Some uninvolved bystanders were arrested and at least one biker was injured as police knocked him off his bike, breaking his arm. Approximately 80 cyclists were arrested en masse here and were in custody for anywhere from 20 to 30 hours or more, at first in the now infamous Pier 57 (“Lil’ Guantanamo”) and then at Central Booking at 100 Center Street. Riders faced charges including all of the aforementioned violations, but also misdemeanors such as obstruction of governmental administration and reckless endangerment.

Bike bloc participants were to later find out, much to their consternation, that the NYPD had (perhaps illegally) declared a “bike frozen zone” on Sunday August 29th from 34th to 59th St, west of 6th Avenue.

There were approximately 400 bike arrests total on the weekend before and during the RNC. Many arrested are still unable to retrieve their bicycles, which are being held as evidence at a warehouse in a remote section of Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

This article was submitted by a GC student who was also a participant in both bike events. She was arrested in the bike bloc action. This article was accepted anonymously because the writer is currently involved in legal actions against the City.