[*BCM*] News!

[Lee Peters]

Dear pals-I am working at home today and away from my computer, I have 
been trying to post and don't know if this will work.

The 'secondary' Critical Mass ride gathered today at Copley Square, but 
in a slightly different spot.  This made me think that this was a 
gathering of newbies to Boston's Mass.  Then as 8 am. approached, I 
began seeing familiar faces from our regular ride.  Then others began 
showing up-a number of TV cameras and reporters, local news and some 
unknowns.  They did a couple interviews and took video.

The cops showed up, many many cops.  Normally, no cops bother us for 
this ride.  I counted 25 bicycle mounted police just before we left.  As 
we rode, they flanked us and pulled up the rear.  They held traffic at 
bay behind us and at intersections.  Pretty friendly really, it was 
funny how they had no clue where we were going next.  Neither did we.

Then some motorcycle mounted police showed up.  They were a nuisance at 
best with their stinky exhaust and loud tractor engines.  At worst they 
were straight up dangerous by weaving through the crowd of soft fleshy 
bicyclists.  There is more about the danger too....

We weaved about, looking at the people and architecture-making some 
noise; loving life and the city.  We returned to Copley, for a tribal 
bike circle at the intersection of Dartmouth and Boylston.  It was LARGE 
and so much fun!  120 or so of us (I didn't count bikes).  Then we 
continued up Beacon Hill toward the Fleet Center.  We made another 
circle of bikes riding and chanting near the street leading to the 
Fleet.  That went on for a bit, the press started to show up.

Now, I don't know all the details of the next few minutes, but I will 
share what I saw.  The crowd was pulling out of the circle to go AWAY 
from the Fleet Center away from the police.  Some bikers were 
confronting a number of motorcycle police (Statey's).  I don't exactly 
know the mood of this confrontation.  Then a motorcycle revs up and I 
turn around to see the officer running over a blue bicycle.  I took a 
few snaps of this that I will try and post.  A different officer lifted 
the bike and carried it to the side of the road.  The rider chained the 
now broken bike to a lamp post and hopped onto the back of someone 
else's bike.  We chanted a bit about the police state (and the State 
Police).

We continued the ride, folks seemed fed up with the confrontation part, 
so the group went back to Copley.  I left.  I wished we would have gone 
back to the Fleet, perhaps just to see the dreaded cage, that we didn't 
need to enter.

There was a lot of attention from the press and the police on this 
ride.  It was funny how different our monthly ride is from today's.  I 
love just how slippery our demonstration is.   I believe the video might 
be on NECN, try to find it.

See you all Friday!

Leapin' Lee Peters