[*BCM*] CM arrest today

[Lisa Williams]

Anyone get photos/video?
I run a local indie journalism site.

Adam Shoop wrote:
> I suppose I'm the first to get back to back to my computer after 
> today's Critical Mass ride, but for those of you who missed the ride 
> or kept riding on after Harvard Sq., one person was arrested after 
> blocking traffic.  A few individuals took down his name, etc. and 
> contacted sympathetic lawyers.  The police officers (one motorcycle 
> cop, one or two squad cars and one wagon used to transport the 
> arrested person and his bike) would not say what charges were being made.
>
> He did make an announcement--to the 15 or so other riders who stopped 
> and gathered around the arrest--along the lines of: "you're all having 
> a good time and riding bikes but don't ride away after blocking 
> traffic when I tell you stop and don't give me fake information when I 
> ask you."
>
> Unfortunately, I think what might have resulted in traffic tickets or 
> disorderly conduct might land the rider in jail for a night.  The 
> relevant state law requires simply that cities "provide a noncriminal 
> ticketing procedure against violators of the provisions of sections 
> 11A and 11B [requiring that bicyclists obey the traffic laws, etc.]"  
> But further on states:
>
> "A police officer taking cognizance of any such violation may request 
> the offender to state his true name and address. Whoever, upon such 
> request, refuses to state his name and address, or states a false name 
> and address or a name and address which is not his name and address in 
> ordinary use, shall be punished by a fine of not less than 20 nor more 
> than 50 dollars. Any such offender so refusing to state his name and 
> address may be arrested without a warrant, but no person shall be 
> arrested without a warrant for any other such violation."
>
> I've been on most Boston rides since last year and to my knowledge 
> there haven't been too many problems.  Occasionally massers have been 
> asked to leave Memorial Drive, and once were escorted by motorcycle 
> officers to the Longfellow Bridge and stopped being followed once we 
> crossed to Cambridge.
>
> I've casually followed the legal proceedings against CM rides in New 
> York and as far as I recall, all injunctions and lawsuits have been 
> thrown out (including two federal suits (1) to prevent the 
> environmental group Time's Up! from advertising or supporting the 
> event, (2) one to require a parade permit for each ride; and the New 
> York state Supreme Court suit to obtain a monthly permit for the event).
>
> Best,
> Adam
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-- 
Lisa Williams
lisa at cadence90.com
Google Talk: lisatmh

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