[*BCM*] NYCCM: Civil Rights Rally -and- Multi-Mass Last Night

[Julia Asherman]

Hey, I, along with two other bostonians were arrested in NYC for 
participating in the critical mass.  We know that many more than 18 people 
were cuffed, arrested, and held in prision.  i was number 29, and have an 
arraignment in NY with others on June 7th.  The charges will most likely be 
parading without a permit and at least one count of disorderly conduct.  We 
were given violation, but this will undoubtedly be a big hassle.  All of the 
bikes of those who were arrested were kept as "arrest evidence" and might 
not be given back  untill all charges are dropped (at earliest in June).  
There are NY orgs that are helping us to get our bikes back sooner, but this 
might not work. We spent about 3.5 hours in jail, and no bail was involved.  
I know that at least 3 paddywagons full of captives were taken, 11 were in 
mine.  Some minor wrist injuries were caused by cuffs, and some property was 
stolen (form me personally 10 pins and my helmet).  It was clear that the 
police were arresting at randokm untill all wagons were full.  myself and 
the two others i was with were arrested even though we were sitting on a 
stoop on the sidewalk with our helmets off and our bikes next to us.  While 
it could have been at lot worse, it still sucks and we appreciate the 
support form our home city.

love,
Julia



>From: Jym Dyer <jym at econet.org>
>Reply-To: Boston CM <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>,Boston Critical Mass 
><list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
>To: Boston CM <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
>Subject: [*BCM*] NYCCM: Civil Rights Rally -and- Multi-Mass Last Night
>Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2005 06:22:58 -0700 (PDT)
>
>=v= A group called Still We Speak organized a rally for right
>before last night's Critical Mass in NYC:
>
>http://www.stillwespeak.org/
>
>For those on this list who dismissed the civil rights concerns,
>said the ACLU wouldn't get involved, lionized traffic codes over
>and above the Bill of Rights, etc., I welcome you to especially
>take a good look at the list of speakers.
>
>=v= The ride left from (at least) four locations last night.
>So far there's only one MSM article about it:
>
>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/nyregion/30bike.html
>
>(Use http://bugmenot.com/ if you don't want to register.)  For
>those on this list who dismissed my comments about the behavior
>of Asst. Chief Bruce Smolka (as an _ad_hominem_ dislike on my
>part), take a good look at what the _Times_ reports about his
>behavior.
>
>=v= The _Times_, of course, tends toward gentile prose and
>doesn't quite convey the tension of the situation.  When Smolka
>grabbed that woman, and outraged crowd of bystanders -- most
>of whom were *not* bicyclists -- closed in, yelled, and whipped
>out a bunch of cameras and camcorders.  (The _Times_ underplayed
>the arrest of their reporter, too.  All the guy did was ask an
>officer for his badge number, and they shoved him down on a car
>hood, plasticuffed him, and took him away.)
>     <_Jym_>
>
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