{"article":{"id":1523,"heading":"* critical mass ride ends with arrests","author":"fiona sinclair","created":"2000-08-17 03:34:43","modified":"2000-08-17 05:03:31","last_modified":"Thu, 17 Aug 2000 12:03:31","article":"<p>what should have been a joyous ride through the streets of downtown LA this afternoon turned out for many cyclists into a trip to the county jail as critical mass riders were chased, cordoned off and forced by police into stressful arrestable situations. riding in a group of about 200,  cyclists started the ride, exhilarated, peaceful, and lawful with calls for \"less cars, more bikes from the mighty bikey people. as always this critical mass ride was a call to make the general public aware of the fact that bikes have a right to use the road as much as cars.  after cycling for about 40 mins. the police came behind the riders on motor cycles and began to push us to the side of the road forcing cyclists to take turns. with a turn to the right at grand near the metro we were forced into another right, then a left into a one-way street. with the police motorcade so fast on our backs we were then forced to make another right onto the train tracks where a few of the group pushed on ahead and either rode on to be cordoned in an alley and later arrested, or dispersed and left the pack. others,  not wanting to ride the wrong way against an on coming train, were surrounded by police and arrested. i was one of the lucky ones and escaped to cycle back round to the area where cyclists  had been arrested on the tracks. cyclists were in plastic cuffs with their backs to the crowd that was developing. i arrived on the scene with another fellow critical mass cyclist and we promptly started telling the media that was assembling what had happened, however after about twenty minutes the police stepped over the road and arrested the other cyclist who was put to the back of the line against the fence of arrestees. with an eye on my continued saftey at this point i left the scene.<\/p>\n","contact":"cleugh@unm.edu","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"audio\/x-pn-realaudio","summary":"critical mass bicycle ride ends with police forcing riders to ride against traffic and against the metro train.","numcomment":2,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/critical_20mass.r.rm","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2000\/08\/1523.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":1567,"heading":"<----IS A RIDER","article":"I AM SICKENED BY THE ACTIONS THAT TOOK PLACE... 300 peaceful bikers joyfully riding,chanting popping wheelies,entrapped and arrested for no reason, WE DID NOT INSTIGATE POLICE NOR ANYONE ELSE!!!I commutte into and around Downtown L.A. im always elbow to elbow with cars, Ive been struck three times,and i've contradicted the policewhen they tell ME i'm in the wrong only because im young and i just flipped over the Lexus on the corner of Figueroa and Wilshire.. THere are no bike friendly lanes down here,Personally Ill flick anybody off.. Pedestrians yell \"Get the hell off the sidewalk!!\" and cars honk and yell \"Get the hell out the streets!!\" SO Where the Fuck are we supposed to ride?","author":"LESLIE","parent_id":1523,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-17 04:55:27","modified":"2000-08-17 05:07:49","fileurl":""},{"id":1570,"heading":"critical mass ride ends in arrest","article":"My hat's off to all of you who braved the LA streets and took a ride for sanity over auto addiction and global warming\/death.  Bikes have a valueable role in this peaceful revolution.  One use may be running video, audio and digital shots over to the indy media site and others to get it on the web ASAP.  Another is to run as messengers for different marches and clashese going on at the same time.  Bikes are the weavers of the web for infomation, medical supplies, water, food, etc.  The indy videographer on the double decker bike is rad.  I've ridden one here and it offers a great view for photos and video.  Document the illegal police violence and prosecute the bastards!!  In solidarity,  Shane Keller, PedX Arcata.","author":"Shane Keller","parent_id":1523,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-08-17 05:03:31","modified":"2000-08-17 05:16:36","fileurl":""}]}