Re: Critical Mass planning to disrupt the Republican Convention - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-09-2004, 01:40 PM

I think that, like the article states, bikes *may* offer a uniquely
powerful method of resisting the normal treatment demonstrators get
from the cops. Maybe not, but it looks like the normal protests will
be contained and kept distant from the Convention --- but this bike
protest has the potential to make a bigger impact and to get press.
I'm fearful that the media will not cover the fact that thousands of
people are pissed that the GOP is meeting here. They are not wanted
and in my mind they are only here to yet again play the 9/11 card and
to do the whole be afraid - vote for use bs.

I don't think that it is fair to decide that a protest on the saddle
has anything to do with bicyclists is my point. Anymore than a protest
enacted by motorists snafuing traffic would have to do with automobile
enthusiasts. Biking is a thing that I do, like walking and is not
politicised by what I do when I am on my bike. That's kind of silly in
my mind.

TA and Critical Mass are very political entities and it makes perfect
sense for lefty bikers in NYC to organize through these groups.

07-11-2004, 07:28 AM

> Biking is a thing that I do, like walking and is not
> politicised by what I do when I am on my bike.

=v= Biking is a great "way of life" that is far more accepted
in gridlocked NYC than in most of the country. One may not be
doing it for "political" reasons, but it's got repercusisons
in matters of the environment, land-use planning, and opting
out of oil wars.

=v= Politicization happens in other ways, too, though: in
Boston they've just announced that bikes will be banned from
transit systems for the duration of the Democratic National
Convention. Basically they're willing to screw over bikers
in a way that they wouldn't dream of doing to motorists.
That sort of second-class citizenship presumption has a way
of politicizing people.

> TA and Critical Mass are very political entities and it makes
> perfect sense for lefty bikers in NYC to organize through
> these groups.

=v= The organization involved is TIME'S UP!, not TA:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.
<_Jym_>

07-11-2004, 07:28 AM

> Biking is a thing that I do, like walking and is not
> politicised by what I do when I am on my bike.

=v= Biking is a great "way of life" that is far more accepted
in gridlocked NYC than in most of the country. One may not be
doing it for "political" reasons, but it's got repercusisons
in matters of the environment, land-use planning, and opting
out of oil wars.

=v= Politicization happens in other ways, too, though: in
Boston they've just announced that bikes will be banned from
transit systems for the duration of the Democratic National
Convention. Basically they're willing to screw over bikers
in a way that they wouldn't dream of doing to motorists.
That sort of second-class citizenship presumption has a way
of politicizing people.

> TA and Critical Mass are very political entities and it makes
> perfect sense for lefty bikers in NYC to organize through
> these groups.

=v= The organization involved is TIME'S UP!, not TA:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.
<_Jym_>

07-11-2004, 07:28 AM

> Biking is a thing that I do, like walking and is not
> politicised by what I do when I am on my bike.

=v= Biking is a great "way of life" that is far more accepted
in gridlocked NYC than in most of the country. One may not be
doing it for "political" reasons, but it's got repercusisons
in matters of the environment, land-use planning, and opting
out of oil wars.

=v= Politicization happens in other ways, too, though: in
Boston they've just announced that bikes will be banned from
transit systems for the duration of the Democratic National
Convention. Basically they're willing to screw over bikers
in a way that they wouldn't dream of doing to motorists.
That sort of second-class citizenship presumption has a way
of politicizing people.

> TA and Critical Mass are very political entities and it makes
> perfect sense for lefty bikers in NYC to organize through
> these groups.

=v= The organization involved is TIME'S UP!, not TA:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.
<_Jym_>

07-11-2004, 07:28 AM

> Biking is a thing that I do, like walking and is not
> politicised by what I do when I am on my bike.

=v= Biking is a great "way of life" that is far more accepted
in gridlocked NYC than in most of the country. One may not be
doing it for "political" reasons, but it's got repercusisons
in matters of the environment, land-use planning, and opting
out of oil wars.

=v= Politicization happens in other ways, too, though: in
Boston they've just announced that bikes will be banned from
transit systems for the duration of the Democratic National
Convention. Basically they're willing to screw over bikers
in a way that they wouldn't dream of doing to motorists.
That sort of second-class citizenship presumption has a way
of politicizing people.

> TA and Critical Mass are very political entities and it makes
> perfect sense for lefty bikers in NYC to organize through
> these groups.

=v= The organization involved is TIME'S UP!, not TA:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.
<_Jym_>

07-11-2004, 07:28 AM

> Biking is a thing that I do, like walking and is not
> politicised by what I do when I am on my bike.

=v= Biking is a great "way of life" that is far more accepted
in gridlocked NYC than in most of the country. One may not be
doing it for "political" reasons, but it's got repercusisons
in matters of the environment, land-use planning, and opting
out of oil wars.

=v= Politicization happens in other ways, too, though: in
Boston they've just announced that bikes will be banned from
transit systems for the duration of the Democratic National
Convention. Basically they're willing to screw over bikers
in a way that they wouldn't dream of doing to motorists.
That sort of second-class citizenship presumption has a way
of politicizing people.

> TA and Critical Mass are very political entities and it makes
> perfect sense for lefty bikers in NYC to organize through
> these groups.

=v= The organization involved is TIME'S UP!, not TA:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.
<_Jym_>

07-11-2004, 08:33 AM

On 11 Jul 2004 08:28:47 -0700, Jym Dyer <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
>done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.

Not quite true. In 1994 TA organized the Critical Masses. They went from
Washington Square to Central Park. Danny L. can tell you more about them.
Then TA has done some Earth Day rides along the way. But they prefer to
work within the system and not be confrontational. Times Up!, on the other
hand, likes confrontations.

And in the early 90's TA organized weekly protests in Central Park. Every
Tuesday. As long as we had 35 people the police closed down the lower loop
for us. And they organized protests against the closing of the Queensboro
Bridge in the early 90's. That is where John Kaehny got his start.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

07-11-2004, 08:33 AM

On 11 Jul 2004 08:28:47 -0700, Jym Dyer <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
>done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.

Not quite true. In 1994 TA organized the Critical Masses. They went from
Washington Square to Central Park. Danny L. can tell you more about them.
Then TA has done some Earth Day rides along the way. But they prefer to
work within the system and not be confrontational. Times Up!, on the other
hand, likes confrontations.

And in the early 90's TA organized weekly protests in Central Park. Every
Tuesday. As long as we had 35 people the police closed down the lower loop
for us. And they organized protests against the closing of the Queensboro
Bridge in the early 90's. That is where John Kaehny got his start.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

07-11-2004, 08:33 AM

On 11 Jul 2004 08:28:47 -0700, Jym Dyer <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
>done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.

Not quite true. In 1994 TA organized the Critical Masses. They went from
Washington Square to Central Park. Danny L. can tell you more about them.
Then TA has done some Earth Day rides along the way. But they prefer to
work within the system and not be confrontational. Times Up!, on the other
hand, likes confrontations.

And in the early 90's TA organized weekly protests in Central Park. Every
Tuesday. As long as we had 35 people the police closed down the lower loop
for us. And they organized protests against the closing of the Queensboro
Bridge in the early 90's. That is where John Kaehny got his start.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

07-11-2004, 08:33 AM

On 11 Jul 2004 08:28:47 -0700, Jym Dyer <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>I'm a little baffled about people confusing the two. TA hasn't
>done a protest ride for a decade, or possibly several.

Not quite true. In 1994 TA organized the Critical Masses. They went from
Washington Square to Central Park. Danny L. can tell you more about them.
Then TA has done some Earth Day rides along the way. But they prefer to
work within the system and not be confrontational. Times Up!, on the other
hand, likes confrontations.

And in the early 90's TA organized weekly protests in Central Park. Every
Tuesday. As long as we had 35 people the police closed down the lower loop
for us. And they organized protests against the closing of the Queensboro
Bridge in the early 90's. That is where John Kaehny got his start.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.