Conflicts involving Critical Mass

There have been many conflicts during Critical Mass events since the founding of the worldwide bicycling advocacy event in 1992. The conflicts have resulted in injuries, property harm, and arrests, and both bicyclists and motorized vehicle drivers have been victims. Critics say that Critical Mass, held primarily in large metropolitan cities, is a deliberate attempt to obstruct automotive traffic and disrupt normal city functions, when individuals taking part reject to obey traffic laws, [1] while participants variously consider it a celebration of cycling, of cyclists’ rights, and a practical re-imagining of urban space. [Two]

On May 11, 2007, an incident occurred in Berkeley, California, when an elderly motorist stopped at an intersection with dozens of bicycles crossing. [Trio] Activists claim that the driver shouted, while bicyclists were in the intersection, “I’m sick of you people!” Police have not determined who had the right-of-way. [Four] The driver attempted to drive through the intersection. [Trio] The motorist and his wifey, two witnesses, and the police all claimed that the cyclists threw their bicycles under the vehicle. This was disputed by other witnesses. [Three] [Four] [Five] Critical Mass participants then rocked the vehicle, pounded the bondage mask, and broke the windshield while vocally manhandling the elderly duo. [6] Approximately $Three,000 worth of harm was done to the bicycles. Berkeley police did not make any arrests in the incident.

On May 30, 2003, in Buffalo, Fresh York, during an incident known locally as “Critical Massacre,” police stopped two cyclists for “failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.” Several people were allegedly attacked by police. Nine cyclists were arrested and three were later convicted, including a journalist. [7]

Chicago Police Department officers are often seen railing with Critical Mass participants, and squad cars block intersections to provide safe passage to Critical Mass cyclists. However, on August 31, 2007, seven riders were arrested on charges of obstructing traffic and disobeying police, and were held overnight. According to some of those arrested, they were released late at night or early in the morning. On numerous occasions, Critical Mass participants attempted to rail on Lake Shore Drive, a road off thresholds to cyclists. Police prevented participants railing on Lake Shore Drive, by blocking entrance ramps with squad cars when Critical Mass riders treatment the road. [8]

At dusk on March 28, 2008, in Honolulu, Hawaii, police collided with a youthfull woman on a bicycle while attempting to stop another bicyclist for traffic infractions. The youthful woman fell and hit her head on the ground, sustaining injuries requiring hospitalization. While no arrests were made, the police did issue citations and confiscate bicycles. [9]

Due to the gradual increase of cyclists participating in Critical Mass, as well as complaints from motorists and concerns for safety, Houston Police Department officers helped direct the October two thousand thirteen Critical Mass rail in Houston, Texas by controlling intersections on the bike route. [Ten] In January 2014, after two months of providing free security and safe passage through strong intersections, the Houston Police Department began considering options to charge the group for providing security for the event, citing similarities to providing security for funeral processions through the city thresholds. [11] Some Critical Mass riders have spoken out in protest of paying a fee to utilize extra security and escorting through busy intersections, while many others support paying fees for extra security to keep the rail safe, [12] which has led to enlargened discussions inbetween the city and group for extra alternatives to the building conflicts. [13]

In London on September 2005, a few weeks after the seven July two thousand five bombings, Metropolitan Police required the organisers to provide a route six days before the event and placed stringent confinements on riders under threat of arrest. The threat was retracted when politicians and cyclist groups objected. In October 2005, the rail had close to 1,200 participants, significantly more than usual. A long stop in Parliament Square, part of the government’s exclusion area in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, led to a slow and cumbersome rail.

One participant sought a declaration from the High Court of England and Wales that police need not be notified about the rails, in a “friendly activity” in which neither side sought damages. The High Court [14] agreed, exempting Critical Mass from notification under Section eleven of the Public Order Act 1986. The ruling was reversed on appeal. [15] In 2008, Friends of the Earth, who supported the legal act, said the case would be appealed to England’s highest legal authority, the House of Lords, on the grounds that, after eleven years, Critical Mass is “commonly or customarily held.” In October 2008, the House of Lords ruled in favour of the Critical Mass participant. [16] [17]

During the two thousand twelve Summer Olympics, cyclists were arrested on opening day after police claim they overlooked regulations in place during the Olympics. Jenny Jones of the Green Party and the Greater London Assembly has questioned the police deeds, calling them “out of all proportion to common sense” [Eighteen] and “tragically unnecessary.” [Nineteen] A Critical Mass website asked riders to be “peacefully pushy” during the monthly rail, while police claim they asked riders to keep to the south of the Sea Thames. When the riders got close to the Olympic Park, police began to cordon off the area and arrest riders. [20] In total, one hundred eighty two people were arrested, of whom four were charged, and one hundred seventy eight were bailed pending further inquiries. [21] The activity led to five of the one hundred eighty two people arrested being convicted in court. [22]

On the August 31, 2007, rail in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a confrontation occurred inbetween cyclists and the police. The police presence included undercover officers, three marked squad cars, a state patrol helicopter, and unmarked vehicles. The rail had been linked with weekend protests of the following year’s Republican National Convention. After the arrest of a cyclist for “railing in a snake-like manner,” cyclists began chanting “Let him go!” and “What’s the charge?” The police called for backup, and dozens of police officers responded, using mace and tasers. Minneapolis police arrested nineteen participants, including three minors. The adults were arrested on suspicion of rioting, a gross misdemeanor. [23] [24]

On May 27, 2011, in Minsk, Belarus, police compels aided by special units transported thirteen cyclists to the police station for disturbance of traffic rules and for not following orders to disband. Detained participants were fingerprinted and fined, then released. [25]

On April 30, two thousand sixteen two cyclists were arrested [26] during a Critical Mass act. As of September 2016, one was released and the other is facing trial. [27]

Police in Fresh York City have claimed that Critical Mass bicyclists blocking intersections to permit bikes to pass may delay emergency vehicles in the gridlock. [28]

2004 Republican National Convention Edit

During the US two thousand four Republican National Convention, police arrested two hundred fifty riders after the rail caused “massive disruptions” in the city. [29] Many court cases resulted regarding the legality of the rail, whether police have the right to arrest cyclists and seize bicycles, and whether the event needs a permit. In December 2004, a federal judge dismissed Fresh York City’s injunction against Critical Mass as a “political event.” [30] On March 23, 2005, the city filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Time’s Up!, a direct activity environmental group, from promoting or advertising Critical Mass rails. The lawsuit also stated that Time’s Up! and the public could not rail or gather at a Critical Mass bike rail, claiming a permit was required.

2008 bicycle rally Edit

During a bicycle rally on July 25, 2008, NYPD patrolman Patrick Pogan shoved rider Christopher Long off his bicycle. [31] In a criminal complaint, Pogan wrote that he had ordered Long to stop because he was weaving in and out of traffic, forcing vehicles to swerve or stop, and generally disrupting the normal flow of traffic. In addition, Pogan wrote that he suffered lacerations on his arms because Long steered his bike into him and knocked him down, and when he attempted to place Long under arrest, Long began flailing, kicking and screaming, “You are pawns in the game!” [31] Long spent the next day in police custody on charges of attempted attack, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. [32]

Within days, members of the rally’s sponsoring organization Time’s Up! posted a movie of the incident on YouTube. [33] [34] The movie went viral and received over 400,000 hits within five days. Critical Mass activists claimed it supported their claims that the police department has demonstrated a pattern of arresting participants in the rally on false charges. [34] Witnesses also disputed Pogan’s account, telling that Long was the one to receive injuries, traffic was stopped for the rally, and that Pogan had simply scanned the group of cyclists to find one he could take down. [31]

The union that represents NYPD officers said Pogan was just doing his job to protect the public from a reckless bike rider, [35] and Pogan’s father — himself a retired NYPD detective — defended him, telling “You gotta do what you gotta do to make an arrest.” [36] The prosecutor’s office dismissed the charges against Long. NYPD placed Pogan, who had spent only three weeks as a police officer, on a desk assignment while the city investigated the incident. [37]

On December 16, 2008, Pogan appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to felony charges of falsifying business records and filing a false instrument, and misdemeanor charges of third-degree brunt, second-degree harassment and making a punishable false written statement. [38] After the indictment, the police department suspended Pogan [38] and, two months later, Pogan resigned as the department ready to fire him. [39] His attorney said that his defense would center on the department’s training procedures and claims that events occurring off-camera needed to be taken into account. [40]

On July 8, 2009, it was reported that Long, then a Hoboken, NJ, resident, was suing the Fresh York Police Department for $1.Five million, alleging that Pogan falsified his arrest report in order to legitimize his brunt on Long. [41] [42]

During his trial in April 2010, Pogan acknowledged that the movie looked “very extreme.” [43] He testified that he had anticipated a collision with Long, since the rider lowered his right shoulder as the officer approached. Jurors found Pogan not guilty of harassment and onslaught and acquitted him of four of the seven counts of which he had been charged. He was found guilty of filing a criminal complaint that contained false statements concerning the cyclist. [44] Pogan received no jail time but, because he is a convicted felon, he is not eligible to become a Fresh York City police officer in the future. [45] Long said in an interview that he was pleased with the verdict, in part because it would prevent Pogan from becoming a Fresh York City police officer again. [46]

On February 25, 2011, an automobile driver deliberately collided with around twenty cyclists that were participating in a Critical Mass event in Rua José do Patrocinio in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. Out of approximately one hundred fifty people that were taking part in the event, dozens of bicycles were bruised, fifteen people were injured and eight were transported to the emergency room. While the driver left the scene of the incident, demonstrators remained on the street, requesting that the driver be found and arrested. [47] [48] [49] [50] The driver was later identified as 47-year-old Ricardo José Neis. After Neis gave his statement to the police, his attorney, Luis Fernando Coimbra Albino, stated that the Neis was acting in self-defense after several cyclists threatened him and his son and assaulted his car. [51] According to witnesses present at the event, Neis was acting violently behind the bicycles and hit the rear wheels of two different cyclists, and any contact from the cyclists on his car was meant as a sign asking him to slow the vehicle down. Witnesses also reported that Neis had two different transversal roads he could have taken to avoid waiting for the cyclists to proceed. [52] On March 1, 2011, Neis attempted to transfer from a hospital to a psychiatric clinic, but this request was rejected by court officials. He was held in the hospital under police custody, [53] [54] [55] but was later released and indicted under seventeen counts of attempted murder. [56] One of the most severely injured cyclists, 23-year-old Ricardo Mattes Ambus, was readmitted to the hospital on March Trio, 2011, due to an intracranial haematoma. [57]

During the following week, inbetween February twenty eight and March 6, 2011, many protests in support of Critical Mass Porto Alegre were organized in several major cities in South America and around the world. [58] [59] [60] [61] In response, local cyclists organized the World Bike Forum in Porto Alegre to raise awareness of violence in traffic against cyclists. [62] The very first Forum took place during the anniversary of the incident.

On November 24, 2016, Ricardo Neis was sentenced to twelve years and nine months in jail for attempted murder and aggravated attack. [63]

July one thousand nine hundred ninety seven Edit

On the night of July 25, 1997, in San Francisco, the rail attracted Five,000 participants, which resulted in congested traffic, confrontations with motorists, and arrests. Interest and pressure had been growing for several weeks due to enhanced rhetoric from then-Mayor Willie Brown regarding cracking down on the event. The local newspapers published a city-approved route after the mayor withdrew his threat to have bicyclists arrested for not obtaining a parade permit. Most of the participants overlooked the route and separated into several groups. Spoken and physical altercations occurred inbetween motorists and bicyclists, as well as inbetween riders and police. Two officers reported injuries in confrontations with bike riders. Local media reported that “about 250” bicyclists were arrested for moving violations, being tipsy in public, battery, and outstanding warrants. [64] [65]

March two thousand seven Edit

On the March two thousand seven rail in San Francisco, a rider was arrested on felony (later diminished to misdemeanor) charges in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood for denting a limousine using a bicycle lock. The driver told police he got out of his car to talk to two cyclists who allegedly blocked his path. After exchanging words with one of the cyclists, the driver said he grabbed one of the bicycles and attempted to pull it out of the way. He then got back into his limo to go around the riders, but before he could stir, he said, another cyclist ran into the side of his car, then punched the bondage mask with a U-shaped lock. The cyclist told police he only hit the limousine after the driver gunned his engine. During the incident, one of the limousine’s tires was slashed and the driver’s keys were stolen. [66]

Towards the end of the rail, near the Japan Center and Western Addition neighborhoods, a mother from Redwood City, California, traveling with her two youthful daughters in the vehicle, attempted to drive through the mass of riders. A witness claimed to have observed the driver strike a cyclist and flee before cyclists chased and surrounded her vehicle. [67] [68] The driver denied striking a cyclist and alleged that hundreds of cyclists surrounded her minivan while she and her 11- and 13-year-old daughters were inwards, banged on her car, scraped the paint, and threw a bicycle through the rear window of the vehicle, causing $Five,300 in damages. [Sixty nine] [70]

In April 2007, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom requested that Critical Mass riders police themselves. “It does the bicycle-advocacy community no good to have people that are aggressive and dispirit the entire movement,” Newsom said. “I would encourage the bicycle coalition to say, ‘Look, we don’t put up with this, enough is enough.’ ” [71]

November two thousand nine Edit

In November 2009, Stanley Roberts of KRON four News recorded several Critical Mass confrontations inbetween bicyclists and vehicles at Van Ness and O’Farrell Streets. An old Critical Mass website advised riders not to be confrontational and block traffic, but in footage filmed by Roberts, bicyclists engaged in confrontational arguments with motorists and blocked roads to vehicular traffic. [72]

August two thousand fifteen Edit

In August 2015, KQED posted an article on a Critical Mass confrontation inbetween a bicyclist and a female Zipcar driver in the San Francisco Marina District. Thirty nine year old Ian Hespelt was arrested a few days later by the San Francisco Police Department’s bicycle patrol at AT&T Park during the Billy Joel concert. Hespelt was charged with four felonies including onslaught, vandalism, maliciously throwing a substance at a vehicle and false imprisonment. Hespelt was also dreamed in Washington state on a felony drug charge warrant. [73]

June two thousand six Edit

Two riders were arrested during the June two thousand six rail in Seattle, Washington, after a fight with two undercover detectives whom the cyclists confused for gang members. [74] Witnesses disputed the claim made by the sheriff’s office that the detectives identified themselves. [75] The King County Sheriff’s Office determined not to press felony charges in the case, telling there were too many issues over the circumstances surrounding the allegations. [76]

July two thousand eight Edit

On July 25, 2008, Critical Mass prevented a motorist from driving from a curbside parking space into cyclists [77] in Seattle’s Critical Mass on East Aloha. The motorist made statements to Seattle police that he drove away, hitting bicycles and riders (one of them an attorney), [78] [79] and told the press that he “freaked out and overreacted” when bicyclists threatened to peak his vehicle. [80] According to some witnesses, the motorist drove into at least two cyclists and attempted to flee. [81]

A group of riders caught the vehicle, broke its rear windshield, slashed the tires, and assaulted the motorist when he got out. Harm to the car was estimated at $1,500. [78] [81] The motorist was struck in the back of his head by a bike lock [80] and later hospitalized. [82] Two cyclists were arrested for vandalism to the car. Seattle police did not charge the motorist. [83]

On July 27, 2007, in Vilnius, Lithuania, police took five participants into custody, including two minors, for not following orders to disband.

In Walnut Creek, California, on June 20, 2008, a car bumped into the rear wheel of a Critical Mass rider. An argument ensued among the driver and passenger of the car and the cyclist involved, after which the passenger and driver of the car assaulted the cyclist. The police arrived and arrested the passenger and driver of the automobile involved in the brunt. [84]

On June 21, 2002, in Warsaw, Poland, the Critical Mass event was stopped by a cordon of fully armed riot police on Plac Konstytucji (Constitution Square), who demanded their dispersal and detained some of the participants. Other Critical Mass participants responded with a sit-in protest, blocking an significant traffic junction, and then attempted to evade the blockade by taking different routes to Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square), the Critical Mass rally point. [85] [86] [87] This event was widely reported by the media and, as a result, the Warsaw municipality determined to legalize future events, rather than escalate the conflict. Beginning in September 2002, Critical Mass events in Warsaw are organized in total cooperation with the police force. Once a year in August, beginning in 2007, a special Critical Mass is organized in cooperation with the city officials to commemorate the Warsaw Uprising.

On March 28, 2013, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a taxi driver ran over a group of Critical Mass riders, injuring two cyclists, before fleeing from the scene. [88]

Conflicts involving Critical Mass

There have been many conflicts during Critical Mass events since the founding of the worldwide bicycling advocacy event in 1992. The conflicts have resulted in injuries, property harm, and arrests, and both bicyclists and motorized vehicle drivers have been victims. Critics say that Critical Mass, held primarily in large metropolitan cities, is a deliberate attempt to obstruct automotive traffic and disrupt normal city functions, when individuals taking part turn down to obey traffic laws, [1] while participants variously consider it a celebration of cycling, of cyclists’ rights, and a practical re-imagining of urban space. [Two]

On May 11, 2007, an incident occurred in Berkeley, California, when an elderly motorist stopped at an intersection with dozens of bicycles crossing. [Three] Activists claim that the driver shouted, while bicyclists were in the intersection, “I’m sick of you people!” Police have not determined who had the right-of-way. [Four] The driver attempted to drive through the intersection. [Trio] The motorist and his wifey, two witnesses, and the police all claimed that the cyclists threw their bicycles under the vehicle. This was disputed by other witnesses. [Three] [Four] [Five] Critical Mass participants then rocked the vehicle, pounded the bondage mask, and broke the windshield while vocally manhandling the elderly duo. [6] Approximately $Trio,000 worth of harm was done to the bicycles. Berkeley police did not make any arrests in the incident.

Chicago Police Department officers are often seen railing with Critical Mass participants, and squad cars block intersections to provide safe passage to Critical Mass cyclists. However, on August 31, 2007, seven riders were arrested on charges of obstructing traffic and disobeying police, and were held overnight. According to some of those arrested, they were released late at night or early in the morning. On numerous occasions, Critical Mass participants attempted to rail on Lake Shore Drive, a road off boundaries to cyclists. Police prevented participants railing on Lake Shore Drive, by blocking entrance ramps with squad cars when Critical Mass riders treatment the road. [8]

At dusk on March 28, 2008, in Honolulu, Hawaii, police collided with a youthful woman on a bicycle while attempting to stop another bicyclist for traffic infractions. The youthfull woman fell and hit her head on the ground, sustaining injuries requiring hospitalization. While no arrests were made, the police did issue citations and confiscate bicycles. [9]

Due to the gradual increase of cyclists participating in Critical Mass, as well as complaints from motorists and concerns for safety, Houston Police Department officers helped direct the October two thousand thirteen Critical Mass rail in Houston, Texas by controlling intersections on the bike route. [Ten] In January 2014, after two months of providing free security and safe passage through strenuous intersections, the Houston Police Department began considering options to charge the group for providing security for the event, citing similarities to providing security for funeral processions through the city boundaries. [11] Some Critical Mass riders have spoken out in protest of paying a fee to utilize extra security and escorting through busy intersections, while many others support paying fees for extra security to keep the rail safe, [12] which has led to enlargened discussions inbetween the city and group for extra alternatives to the building conflicts. [13]

In London on September 2005, a few weeks after the seven July two thousand five bombings, Metropolitan Police required the organisers to provide a route six days before the event and placed rigorous confinements on riders under threat of arrest. The threat was retracted when politicians and cyclist groups objected. In October 2005, the rail had close to 1,200 participants, significantly more than usual. A long stop in Parliament Square, part of the government’s exclusion area in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, led to a slow and cumbersome rail.

One participant sought a declaration from the High Court of England and Wales that police need not be notified about the rails, in a “friendly activity” in which neither side sought damages. The High Court [14] agreed, exempting Critical Mass from notification under Section eleven of the Public Order Act 1986. The ruling was reversed on appeal. [15] In 2008, Friends of the Earth, who supported the legal activity, said the case would be appealed to England’s highest legal authority, the House of Lords, on the grounds that, after eleven years, Critical Mass is “commonly or customarily held.” In October 2008, the House of Lords ruled in favour of the Critical Mass participant. [16] [17]

During the two thousand twelve Summer Olympics, cyclists were arrested on opening day after police claim they disregarded regulations in place during the Olympics. Jenny Jones of the Green Party and the Greater London Assembly has questioned the police deeds, calling them “out of all proportion to common sense” [Legitimate] and “tragically unnecessary.” [Nineteen] A Critical Mass website asked riders to be “peacefully pushy” during the monthly rail, while police claim they asked riders to keep to the south of the Sea Thames. When the riders got close to the Olympic Park, police began to cordon off the area and arrest riders. [20] In total, one hundred eighty two people were arrested, of whom four were charged, and one hundred seventy eight were bailed pending further inquiries. [21] The act led to five of the one hundred eighty two people arrested being convicted in court. [22]

On May 27, 2011, in Minsk, Belarus, police coerces aided by special units transported thirteen cyclists to the police station for disturbance of traffic rules and for not following orders to disband. Detained participants were fingerprinted and fined, then released. [25]

On April 30, two thousand sixteen two cyclists were arrested [26] during a Critical Mass activity. As of September 2016, one was released and the other is facing trial. [27]

Police in Fresh York City have claimed that Critical Mass bicyclists blocking intersections to permit bikes to pass may delay emergency vehicles in the gridlock. [28]

2004 Republican National Convention Edit

2008 bicycle rally Edit

During a bicycle rally on July 25, 2008, NYPD patrolman Patrick Pogan shoved rider Christopher Long off his bicycle. [31] In a criminal complaint, Pogan wrote that he had ordered Long to stop because he was weaving in and out of traffic, forcing vehicles to swerve or stop, and generally disrupting the normal flow of traffic. In addition, Pogan wrote that he suffered lacerations on his arms because Long steered his bike into him and knocked him down, and when he attempted to place Long under arrest, Long began flailing, kicking and screaming, “You are pawns in the game!” [31] Long spent the next day in police custody on charges of attempted brunt, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. [32]

On December 16, 2008, Pogan appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to felony charges of falsifying business records and filing a false instrument, and misdemeanor charges of third-degree onslaught, second-degree harassment and making a punishable false written statement. [38] After the indictment, the police department suspended Pogan [38] and, two months later, Pogan resigned as the department ready to fire him. [39] His attorney said that his defense would center on the department’s training procedures and claims that events occurring off-camera needed to be taken into account. [40]

During his trial in April 2010, Pogan acknowledged that the movie looked “very extreme.” [43] He testified that he had anticipated a collision with Long, since the rider lowered his right shoulder as the officer approached. Jurors found Pogan not guilty of harassment and brunt and acquitted him of four of the seven counts of which he had been charged. He was found guilty of filing a criminal complaint that contained false statements concerning the cyclist. [44] Pogan received no jail time but, because he is a convicted felon, he is not eligible to become a Fresh York City police officer in the future. [45] Long said in an interview that he was pleased with the verdict, in part because it would prevent Pogan from becoming a Fresh York City police officer again. [46]

On February 25, 2011, an automobile driver deliberately collided with around twenty cyclists that were participating in a Critical Mass event in Rua José do Patrocinio in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. Out of approximately one hundred fifty people that were taking part in the event, dozens of bicycles were bruised, fifteen people were injured and eight were transported to the emergency room. While the driver left the scene of the incident, demonstrators remained on the street, requiring that the driver be found and arrested. [47] [48] [49] [50] The driver was later identified as 47-year-old Ricardo José Neis. After Neis gave his statement to the police, his attorney, Luis Fernando Coimbra Albino, stated that the Neis was acting in self-defense after several cyclists threatened him and his son and assaulted his car. [51] According to witnesses present at the event, Neis was acting violently behind the bicycles and hit the rear wheels of two different cyclists, and any contact from the cyclists on his car was meant as a sign asking him to slow the vehicle down. Witnesses also reported that Neis had two different transversal roads he could have taken to avoid waiting for the cyclists to proceed. [52] On March 1, 2011, Neis attempted to transfer from a hospital to a psychiatric clinic, but this request was rejected by court officials. He was held in the hospital under police custody, [53] [54] [55] but was later released and indicted under seventeen counts of attempted murder. [56] One of the most severely injured cyclists, 23-year-old Ricardo Mattes Ambus, was readmitted to the hospital on March Three, 2011, due to an intracranial haematoma. [57]

On November 24, 2016, Ricardo Neis was sentenced to twelve years and nine months in jail for attempted murder and aggravated attack. [63]

July one thousand nine hundred ninety seven Edit

On the night of July 25, 1997, in San Francisco, the rail attracted Five,000 participants, which resulted in congested traffic, confrontations with motorists, and arrests. Interest and pressure had been growing for several weeks due to enhanced rhetoric from then-Mayor Willie Brown regarding cracking down on the event. The local newspapers published a city-approved route after the mayor withdrew his threat to have bicyclists arrested for not obtaining a parade permit. Most of the participants disregarded the route and separated into several groups. Spoken and physical altercations occurred inbetween motorists and bicyclists, as well as inbetween riders and police. Two officers reported injuries in confrontations with bike riders. Local media reported that “about 250” bicyclists were arrested for moving violations, being inebriated in public, battery, and outstanding warrants. [64] [65]

March two thousand seven Edit

On the March two thousand seven rail in San Francisco, a rider was arrested on felony (later diminished to misdemeanor) charges in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood for denting a limousine using a bicycle lock. The driver told police he got out of his car to talk to two cyclists who allegedly blocked his path. After exchanging words with one of the cyclists, the driver said he grabbed one of the bicycles and attempted to pull it out of the way. He then got back into his limo to go around the riders, but before he could stir, he said, another cyclist ran into the side of his car, then punched the fetish mask with a U-shaped lock. The cyclist told police he only hit the limousine after the driver gunned his engine. During the incident, one of the limousine’s tires was slashed and the driver’s keys were stolen. [66]

November two thousand nine Edit

August two thousand fifteen Edit

In August 2015, KQED posted an article on a Critical Mass confrontation inbetween a bicyclist and a female Zipcar driver in the San Francisco Marina District. Thirty nine year old Ian Hespelt was arrested a few days later by the San Francisco Police Department’s bicycle patrol at AT&T Park during the Billy Joel concert. Hespelt was charged with four felonies including brunt, vandalism, maliciously throwing a substance at a vehicle and false imprisonment. Hespelt was also desired in Washington state on a felony drug charge warrant. [73]

June two thousand six Edit

July two thousand eight Edit

On July 27, 2007, in Vilnius, Lithuania, police took five participants into custody, including two minors, for not following orders to disband.

On June 21, 2002, in Warsaw, Poland, the Critical Mass event was stopped by a cordon of fully armed riot police on Plac Konstytucji (Constitution Square), who demanded their dispersal and detained some of the participants. Other Critical Mass participants responded with a sit-in protest, blocking an significant traffic junction, and then attempted to evade the blockade by taking different routes to Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square), the Critical Mass rally point. [85] [86] [87] This event was widely reported by the media and, as a result, the Warsaw municipality determined to legalize future events, rather than escalate the conflict. Beginning in September 2002, Critical Mass events in Warsaw are organized in utter cooperation with the police force. Once a year in August, beginning in 2007, a special Critical Mass is organized in cooperation with the city officials to commemorate the Warsaw Uprising.

On March 28, 2013, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a taxi driver ran over a group of Critical Mass riders, injuring two cyclists, before fleeing from the scene. [88]

Conflicts involving Critical Mass

There have been many conflicts during Critical Mass events since the founding of the worldwide bicycling advocacy event in 1992. The conflicts have resulted in injuries, property harm, and arrests, and both bicyclists and motorized vehicle drivers have been victims. Critics say that Critical Mass, held primarily in large metropolitan cities, is a deliberate attempt to obstruct automotive traffic and disrupt normal city functions, when individuals taking part turn down to obey traffic laws, [1] while participants variously consider it a celebration of cycling, of cyclists’ rights, and a practical re-imagining of urban space. [Two]

On May 11, 2007, an incident occurred in Berkeley, California, when an elderly motorist stopped at an intersection with dozens of bicycles crossing. [Three] Activists claim that the driver shouted, while bicyclists were in the intersection, “I’m sick of you people!” Police have not determined who had the right-of-way. [Four] The driver attempted to drive through the intersection. [Three] The motorist and his wifey, two witnesses, and the police all claimed that the cyclists threw their bicycles under the vehicle. This was disputed by other witnesses. [Three] [Four] [Five] Critical Mass participants then rocked the vehicle, pounded the spandex hood, and broke the windshield while vocally manhandling the elderly duo. [6] Approximately $Trio,000 worth of harm was done to the bicycles. Berkeley police did not make any arrests in the incident.

Due to the gradual increase of cyclists participating in Critical Mass, as well as complaints from motorists and concerns for safety, Houston Police Department officers helped direct the October two thousand thirteen Critical Mass rail in Houston, Texas by controlling intersections on the bike route. [Ten] In January 2014, after two months of providing free security and safe passage through intense intersections, the Houston Police Department began considering options to charge the group for providing security for the event, citing similarities to providing security for funeral processions through the city boundaries. [11] Some Critical Mass riders have spoken out in protest of paying a fee to utilize extra security and escorting through busy intersections, while many others support paying fees for extra security to keep the rail safe, [12] which has led to enlargened discussions inbetween the city and group for extra alternatives to the building conflicts. [13]

In London on September 2005, a few weeks after the seven July two thousand five bombings, Metropolitan Police required the organisers to provide a route six days before the event and placed stringent limitations on riders under threat of arrest. The threat was retracted when politicians and cyclist groups objected. In October 2005, the rail had close to 1,200 participants, significantly more than usual. A long stop in Parliament Square, part of the government’s exclusion area in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, led to a slow and cumbersome rail.

One participant sought a declaration from the High Court of England and Wales that police need not be notified about the rails, in a “friendly act” in which neither side sought damages. The High Court [14] agreed, exempting Critical Mass from notification under Section eleven of the Public Order Act 1986. The ruling was reversed on appeal. [15] In 2008, Friends of the Earth, who supported the legal activity, said the case would be appealed to England’s highest legal authority, the House of Lords, on the grounds that, after eleven years, Critical Mass is “commonly or customarily held.” In October 2008, the House of Lords ruled in favour of the Critical Mass participant. [16] [17]

During the two thousand twelve Summer Olympics, cyclists were arrested on opening day after police claim they overlooked regulations in place during the Olympics. Jenny Jones of the Green Party and the Greater London Assembly has questioned the police deeds, calling them “out of all proportion to common sense” [Legal] and “tragically unnecessary.” [Nineteen] A Critical Mass website asked riders to be “peacefully pushy” during the monthly rail, while police claim they asked riders to keep to the south of the Sea Thames. When the riders got close to the Olympic Park, police began to cordon off the area and arrest riders. [20] In total, one hundred eighty two people were arrested, of whom four were charged, and one hundred seventy eight were bailed pending further inquiries. [21] The activity led to five of the one hundred eighty two people arrested being convicted in court. [22]

On April 30, two thousand sixteen two cyclists were arrested [26] during a Critical Mass activity. As of September 2016, one was released and the other is facing trial. [27]

Police in Fresh York City have claimed that Critical Mass bicyclists blocking intersections to permit bikes to pass may delay emergency vehicles in the gridlock. [28]

2004 Republican National Convention Edit

During the US two thousand four Republican National Convention, police arrested two hundred fifty riders after the rail caused “massive disruptions” in the city. [29] Many court cases resulted regarding the legality of the rail, whether police have the right to arrest cyclists and seize bicycles, and whether the event needs a permit. In December 2004, a federal judge dismissed Fresh York City’s injunction against Critical Mass as a “political event.” [30] On March 23, 2005, the city filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Time’s Up!, a direct act environmental group, from promoting or advertising Critical Mass rails. The lawsuit also stated that Time’s Up! and the public could not rail or gather at a Critical Mass bike rail, claiming a permit was required.

2008 bicycle rally Edit

On December 16, 2008, Pogan appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to felony charges of falsifying business records and filing a false instrument, and misdemeanor charges of third-degree attack, second-degree harassment and making a punishable false written statement. [38] After the indictment, the police department suspended Pogan [38] and, two months later, Pogan resigned as the department ready to fire him. [39] His attorney said that his defense would center on the department’s training procedures and claims that events occurring off-camera needed to be taken into account. [40]

During his trial in April 2010, Pogan acknowledged that the movie looked “very extreme.” [43] He testified that he had anticipated a collision with Long, since the rider lowered his right shoulder as the officer approached. Jurors found Pogan not guilty of harassment and brunt and acquitted him of four of the seven counts of which he had been charged. He was found guilty of filing a criminal complaint that contained false statements concerning the cyclist. [44] Pogan received no jail time but, because he is a convicted felon, he is not eligible to become a Fresh York City police officer in the future. [45] Long said in an interview that he was pleased with the verdict, in part because it would prevent Pogan from becoming a Fresh York City police officer again. [46]

On February 25, 2011, an automobile driver deliberately collided with around twenty cyclists that were participating in a Critical Mass event in Rua José do Patrocinio in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. Out of approximately one hundred fifty people that were taking part in the event, dozens of bicycles were bruised, fifteen people were injured and eight were transported to the emergency room. While the driver left the scene of the incident, demonstrators remained on the street, requiring that the driver be found and arrested. [47] [48] [49] [50] The driver was later identified as 47-year-old Ricardo José Neis. After Neis gave his statement to the police, his attorney, Luis Fernando Coimbra Albino, stated that the Neis was acting in self-defense after several cyclists threatened him and his son and assaulted his car. [51] According to witnesses present at the event, Neis was acting violently behind the bicycles and hit the rear wheels of two different cyclists, and any contact from the cyclists on his car was meant as a sign asking him to slow the vehicle down. Witnesses also reported that Neis had two different transversal roads he could have taken to avoid waiting for the cyclists to proceed. [52] On March 1, 2011, Neis attempted to transfer from a hospital to a psychiatric clinic, but this request was rejected by court officials. He was held in the hospital under police custody, [53] [54] [55] but was later released and indicted under seventeen counts of attempted murder. [56] One of the most severely injured cyclists, 23-year-old Ricardo Mattes Ambus, was readmitted to the hospital on March Trio, 2011, due to an intracranial haematoma. [57]

On November 24, 2016, Ricardo Neis was sentenced to twelve years and nine months in jail for attempted murder and aggravated onslaught. [63]

July one thousand nine hundred ninety seven Edit

On the night of July 25, 1997, in San Francisco, the rail attracted Five,000 participants, which resulted in congested traffic, confrontations with motorists, and arrests. Interest and strain had been growing for several weeks due to enlargened rhetoric from then-Mayor Willie Brown regarding cracking down on the event. The local newspapers published a city-approved route after the mayor withdrew his threat to have bicyclists arrested for not obtaining a parade permit. Most of the participants disregarded the route and separated into several groups. Spoken and physical altercations occurred inbetween motorists and bicyclists, as well as inbetween riders and police. Two officers reported injuries in confrontations with bike riders. Local media reported that “about 250” bicyclists were arrested for moving violations, being inebriated in public, battery, and outstanding warrants. [64] [65]

March two thousand seven Edit

On the March two thousand seven rail in San Francisco, a rider was arrested on felony (later diminished to misdemeanor) charges in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood for denting a limousine using a bicycle lock. The driver told police he got out of his car to talk to two cyclists who allegedly blocked his path. After exchanging words with one of the cyclists, the driver said he grabbed one of the bicycles and attempted to pull it out of the way. He then got back into his limo to go around the riders, but before he could budge, he said, another cyclist ran into the side of his car, then punched the rubber hood with a U-shaped lock. The cyclist told police he only hit the limousine after the driver gunned his engine. During the incident, one of the limousine’s tires was slashed and the driver’s keys were stolen. [66]

November two thousand nine Edit

August two thousand fifteen Edit

In August 2015, KQED posted an article on a Critical Mass confrontation inbetween a bicyclist and a female Zipcar driver in the San Francisco Marina District. Thirty nine year old Ian Hespelt was arrested a few days later by the San Francisco Police Department’s bicycle patrol at AT&T Park during the Billy Joel concert. Hespelt was charged with four felonies including attack, vandalism, maliciously throwing a substance at a vehicle and false imprisonment. Hespelt was also desired in Washington state on a felony drug charge warrant. [73]

June two thousand six Edit

July two thousand eight Edit

On July 27, 2007, in Vilnius, Lithuania, police took five participants into custody, including two minors, for not following orders to disband.

On June 21, 2002, in Warsaw, Poland, the Critical Mass event was stopped by a cordon of fully armed riot police on Plac Konstytucji (Constitution Square), who demanded their dispersal and detained some of the participants. Other Critical Mass participants responded with a sit-in protest, blocking an significant traffic junction, and then attempted to evade the blockade by taking different routes to Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square), the Critical Mass rally point. [85] [86] [87] This event was widely reported by the media and, as a result, the Warsaw municipality determined to legalize future events, rather than escalate the conflict. Beginning in September 2002, Critical Mass events in Warsaw are organized in utter cooperation with the police force. Once a year in August, beginning in 2007, a special Critical Mass is organized in cooperation with the city officials to commemorate the Warsaw Uprising.

On March 28, 2013, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a taxi driver ran over a group of Critical Mass riders, injuring two cyclists, before fleeing from the scene. [88]

Conflicts involving Critical Mass

Conflicts involving Critical Mass

Contents

2004 Republican National Convention Edit

2008 bicycle rally Edit

July one thousand nine hundred ninety seven Edit

March two thousand seven Edit

November two thousand nine Edit

August two thousand fifteen Edit

June two thousand six Edit

July two thousand eight Edit

Conflicts involving Critical Mass

Contents

2004 Republican National Convention Edit

2008 bicycle rally Edit

July one thousand nine hundred ninety seven Edit

March two thousand seven Edit

November two thousand nine Edit

August two thousand fifteen Edit

June two thousand six Edit

July two thousand eight Edit

Conflicts involving Critical Mass

Contents

2004 Republican National Convention Edit

2008 bicycle rally Edit

July one thousand nine hundred ninety seven Edit

March two thousand seven Edit

November two thousand nine Edit

August two thousand fifteen Edit

June two thousand six Edit

July two thousand eight Edit

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