Critical Mass Panic

This happened: Streetsblog has been ignoring this story for a long time, but I am glad they picked it up. Kudos to Time's Up for putting together the footage and getting it out there. Kudos to all Critical Mass participants who still dare to ride. But dont' worry...the end is near. CHECK IT!! BIKE CHECK!!! I hope y'all can come out. STRIKE EVERYWHERE! BIKE EVERYWHERE! #A27 and #M1GS BUT until then, why not enjoy some leisurely, family-style Critical Mass in south-central Brooklyn? Ditmass <3 Rides is a local, grassroots Mass that happens nearly every Friday 7pm in front of the Cortelyou Branch of the Library in Ditmas Park. Of course, tomorrow is also 1st Friday, so cyclists are free to meet at Union Square North at 7pm and ride somewhere together. I am not sure what I am doing yet, but I am feeling the leisure of staying in Brooklyn. Perhaps 1st Friday Critical Mass can meet us at Grand Army Plaza in Brookyln at 8??? Bike Safe, Bike Love, Bike Everywhere, Strike Everyw

Spring is here! Of course I can not yet divorce my perspective from my privilege as a white, educated, cis-male from this experience, but I hope these sincere words fall upon open ears & hearts. My apologies if anyone is offended. There are many complex nuances to be processed. WATCH! Livestream of events leading up to what might be considered a police riot http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21181713 Myself and 17 others were inexplicably released with our charges dropped at 3 am on Monday. Dozens of others remain in custody and are only just now seeing a judge, including people seriously injured who were denied medical attention and placed in solitary and/or highly abusive conditions for much of our 27+ hours of detainment in the "justice" system. Please do what you can to offer support in jails, courts, and show solidarity in the streets and your communities. LOVE TO ALL MY BEAUTIFUL BROTHERS AND SISTERS. Down with Bloomberg & Kelly! Demolish the prisons! All out May Da

R.I.P. Mathieu. And too many others. NYPD fall guys, claiming they don't have the resources to enforce traffic laws/ Susan Petito, Assistant Commissioner (to absent Ray Kelly) reaches down to snatch your civil rights with legal mumbo-jumbo and take away any chance at justice through sheer incompetence! February 2012 Critical Mass NYC: 13 NYPD motor vehicles, 5 cyclists. Police were present for two hours at a minimum, did not give chase to the cyclist horde. Number of foreign tourists who came to check out Critical Mass: 3. WELCOME TO NEW YORK!

Okay, so I am finally posting. I was having trouble expressing myself on in 140-or-less on my Twitter account (@critmasspanic). Also my pathetic plea to my facebook "friends" to accompany an "invite" for "F*ck Ur Cliques & Ur Scenes - Lets ride!" (Critical Mass, obviously) just was not coming together right. Lastly, I promised myself I would at least drop a mass e-mail to let folks know the cool shit going down. Or potentially going down, with a little participation in creating the world we want to see, from you, dear readers. So without further ado, a brief rant, and some suggested events you might attend. The NYPD have been in the hot seat a lot lately, especially following last week's city council hearing on the utter failure to hold anyone accountable for traffic "accidents." I tried (but mostly failed) to speak eloquently on the record about the utter waste of resources, the (further) corruption of police culture, and the failure o