Reverend Billy of The Church of Stop Shopping receives a ticket on 17th st

E 40th st and 1st ave

E 40th st and 1st ave

adding photos...

HUGE apology for not insisting that we go east out of the square instead of west last night. (Some of us saw the very large police presence a few blocks up Broadway.)It would of bought a little time and perhaps would of helped people stay together more. But then we figured, the cops are going to attack us where ever we went, may as well go where you want.

(!st I guess he couldnt just blend into the crowd, eh?)

On the ride again, and what are we all doing?

Why did people scatter and turn around right away?

We are doing nothing wrong!!!!!
Stay togather and keep riding, if we need to stop at a light or two to keep together, it is better than not stopping for the sake of "freedom" and such.

It was the chaose from the turn aroujnd and the splitting up that thenallowed the police courage, and space, to pick off a few people. WE NEED TO STAY TOGETHER!!!!!!!! And haver video cams in the fornt and wherever the police come.

Let's go on the offense!


we need to get the police out of permitting process

and

city council hearings on the nypd critical mass

if vallon in the public safety committee wont lead that, then members of the committee need to ask nypd when they can and do come before the committee, or another committee

that is what Gerson can do, instead of just speaking at the events, actually doing their jobs, and let's not be fooled by them!!!

ask nypd:

Who decides the deployment?

What are the numbers of deployed oficers?

From where do they come from?

What happens at the other precincts they may be pulled form?

crime numbers for the precincts and the nights they are reduced in nypd because of deployments on last friday of the month

cost to department in overtime etc

legal costs due to wrongful arrest suits

impact on fight against terrorims when all these officers are deployed

difference in nypd policie now and years ago, when this wasnt occuring

etc etc etc

get city council hearings!!!!

thats what nypd is scraed of, one thing of many, and a reason, besides widespread grassroots organizing, is that city council was going to ask questions if that polici proposal was pushed...

Why did people turn arround and not just stop for the light (at 5th Ave and 17th street)? Because there was a horde of cops on scooters coming down 5th ave to block that intersection and ticket law abiding bikers.

The ride had already stopped at the light and it wasn't going to make any difference to the cops. Their orders are to ticket bikers no matter what so as harrass critical mass to death. It's illegal and cynical and it's typical of their way of acommplishing something when the law is against them. F--k Bloomberg and the NYPD.

There needs to be a class action lawsuit by people who've been ticketed this year right away. (Should of happened already).

I hope he will make a big deal out of this and not pay the ticket or accept it's dismissal. With his promninence and energy he could help rally the class action lawsuit or whatever is needed to get more action, with many people's support of course.
Free Reverend Billy!

and while a hundred cops in and on dozens of scooters and unmarked vehicles were busy harassing us cyclists around union square - a few blocks away on 9th and 28th a couple in their fifties were hit by a car the papers said was going so fast through the intersection that it sent them flying through the air, killing the husband and critically injuring his wife. despite the fact that witnesses gave a clear description of the car with florida plates the driver was not caught. this happened around 8pm. so rather than help try to catch that murderer all these cops continued to be commanded to hassle us on our bikes even though we were trying to stop at red lights and actually obey the laws of the road.
the commanding officers of lower manhattan should be ashamed of their priorities and decisions that night.

and remember people, if you put a white light in front, a red blinker in back, and a bell or horn on your bike, you're legal in nyc. don't make it easy for them to ticket you.

I want to fight back against this harassment. If our lawyers are all too busy, maybe we can all file in Small Claims Court for $5000 each. Or maybe we can even file pro se for $25,000 each in Civil Court, the next court above that. I think I remember that they did that in San Francisco, and they stopped the harassment beautifully with all of their efforts. Also, I've heard the CCRB is toothless, but still the findings do go on officers' records which are considered when they're up for promotion. Some of their bosses would frown upon their having given bogus tickets. If we spread the word and get a lot of people to do these things, I think it could have a big impact. I want to find out what the lawyers and others in the know think about this.

Venceremos,

Dan B.