Another Story Buried
We were watching WGN News Friday night and saw come coverage about the "Critical Mass Bicycle Ride" that take place certain Friday nights. As we understand it, the bikes ride a number of downtown streets to protest our dependence on foreign oil, gas guzzling SUV's, global warming etc.
What happened Friday night was that some cyclists appeared to be out of control. WGN had a "breaking story" with video that showed a CPD sergeant and at least two officers restraining a individual with long brown or black hair who was not following verbal direction. The person was restrained and we can only assume handcuffed and taken to jail. Again, we saw the video. It exists somewhere.
We can't find it on the WGN website. We can't find it at the Tribune website. We can't seem to find it anywhere. Maybe we're just missing it. Maybe it was just one of those non stories that pop up from time to time. Regardless, it registered on our radar for a minute or two because it showed CPD officers with hands on a protester, which is usually good for a couple days worth of screaming headlines from the talking heads on TV. Then we saw this story tonight on Captain's Quarters and PowerLine:
What happened Friday night was that some cyclists appeared to be out of control. WGN had a "breaking story" with video that showed a CPD sergeant and at least two officers restraining a individual with long brown or black hair who was not following verbal direction. The person was restrained and we can only assume handcuffed and taken to jail. Again, we saw the video. It exists somewhere.
We can't find it on the WGN website. We can't find it at the Tribune website. We can't seem to find it anywhere. Maybe we're just missing it. Maybe it was just one of those non stories that pop up from time to time. Regardless, it registered on our radar for a minute or two because it showed CPD officers with hands on a protester, which is usually good for a couple days worth of screaming headlines from the talking heads on TV. Then we saw this story tonight on Captain's Quarters and PowerLine:
- Police arrested 19 bicyclists, including three juveniles, after a protest ride took an ugly turn in downtown Minneapolis Friday night.
- It was unclear, Przynski said, if the first people arrested were affiliated with the convention protest group. The lieutenant also said that a State Patrol helicopter had videotaped part of the event, and that documentation would be included in what police are now reviewing.
- Police said they have had little trouble with recent rallies staged by Critical Mass, a loosely organized group that opposes society's heavy use of motor vehicles.
So we have two different bike rallies in cities hundreds of miles apart. Both are run by Critical Mass and both have some sort of anti-social misbehavior embedded within. We looked a little further into the activities of Critical Mass here and elsewhere and noticed that when they have their night rides, they tend to disobey traffic laws, promote gridlock through direct action, vandalize cars (particularly SUV's) along their route of travel, and verbally abuse pedestrians who don't get out of their way.
Anyone else see connections that ought to pique the interest of the Police Department? Or Police Departments across the country?
UPDATE: The Sun Times has the story today - A FULL 48 HOURS AFTER the attack. Seven arrests. How is this not covered for 48 hours? What the hell is going on in the Chicago media?
Anyone else see connections that ought to pique the interest of the Police Department? Or Police Departments across the country?
UPDATE: The Sun Times has the story today - A FULL 48 HOURS AFTER the attack. Seven arrests. How is this not covered for 48 hours? What the hell is going on in the Chicago media?
Labels: media
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
37 Comments:
SCC, Check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UYsmqK_E70&mode=related&search= -- these guys are the pure WTO-protesting anarchist types that try to provoke confrontations and put a spin on it. I don't know what's more creepy about this video - that the critical mass morons try to pull this kind of stunt, or that the media actually calls them on it!
Fuck those bicycles and their riders. They don't obtain a permit to ride down a specific route. Instead, they take over the streets, disobeying every traffic law, causing gridlock and causing accident after accident and putting everybody at risk of injurey or death, even themselves. fuck em all.
It's just another example of how the media manipulates things. If the protester was an ignorant asshole that march organizers wanted locked up for disrupting their constitutionally-protected right to free assembly, you won't hear a word about it....just cops doing what they're paid to do. But if it was some free-spirited pot smoker who refused to comply with the po-leese, then it's front page news.
Did anyone read the current Rolling Stone? Forty years have passed and they are SO nostalgic about the "summer of love", dropping acid and marching to end the Viet Nam war, it's sickening. They want soooooooo badly to have something to protest against like good old Mom and Dad. Now we have dipshit kids riding thousand dollar mountain bikes, screaming about Bush like he was Satan, immigration reform and throwing up the "peace sign" fer chrissakes.
I was in grammar school during the halcyon days of the '60's and we were all in the crewcut, Beach Boys and even Elvis mindset. Long hair was for the trash that almost ruined our city in '68. Liberal scum media of that time romanitcized Timothy Leary, The Chicago 7 and Haight Ashbury to the point of you being called a blasphemer if you disagreed.
Watch All In The Family reruns on TV to see how the liberal media wanted to brainwash a generation of America's youth. Try to imagine that Archie Bunker (yes...crude, pudgy, middle-class white guy) was part of a generation that saved the PLANET from the Thrid Reich and global tyranny. The "hip guy" of the show was the freeloader who married Archie's daughter, had long hair and had the nerve to sit at Archie's dinner table and tell Archie what a dinosaur he was. Everyone that I knew that was Mike Stivic's age respected their elders, didn't wear bell-bottoms or long hair and had a JOB!
Now, todays police officers are paying for all the tree-hugging BS that the same liberal media encourages to impede law enforcement. Everyone (well, except police officers) have rights and no one gets a slap or even gets yelled at ("Johnny needs a time out") so it's no wonder kids and schools are in the state they're in.
Don't even get me started on "Movin' on Up." Just look at how Hyde Park, Beverly, Lakeview and Roseland have all "moved up." Thanks, media filth.
Thanks for NOTHING!
the members of that group are Fn hypocrites. Many of them transport their bikes for the protests in big SUV's and sedans and they all have suburban city stickers. The liberals will do anything for a protest.
Did Keating get attacked or not? This was reported by someone on the Honorable Star blog.
Why are these critical mass riders allowed to inconvenience the entire city yet wehn they want to ride by the Mayor's house they aren't allowed? Seems like a double standard,especially since they are considered to be in a partnership with the city. If we have to suffer from this bs then the Mayor should hear and see these clowns too.
THEY TRIED TO KILL THE STORY,THE MAYOR IS A HUGE CYCLING PROPONENT AND CHICAGO IS THE MOST BICYCLE FRIENDLY CITY IN THE USA. ONCE AGAIN THE BLOGS HAVE EXPOSED SOMETHING THEY WANTED KEPT SECRET TO THE PUBLIC.
I can't wait to see the Chicago Reader piece on this one.
When I was a sergeant in 012 they came through and attempted to block a street. I faced down the loudest one, who folded like a lawn chair. They are not used to being told NO. When you do it, they fade away.
MORE ASSHOLES WHO WANT TO START SHIT! LOCK EM UP AUCTION THEIR BIKES FUCK THEM! THE LIBTARDS DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE LET THEM DO THEIR PROTEST SHIT WHERE THEY LIVE, BUT THEN THE SHIT BURBS NEVER GET COVERAGE UNTIL THE MOM'S KILL THEIR CHILDREN THEN THEY GET IT!
Up with down, Down with up!
The liberal warcry!
A COPPER FROM 010 ON AFTERNOONS IS A CARD CARRYING MEMBER OF THE "CRITICAL MASS",HE WAS IN THAT BIKE RIDE.HIS INITIALS ARE E.W.-HE HATES THE POLICE.HE GOT A CR# AGAINST HIS FTO BECAUSE HE YELLED AT DUDE WHO WAS CAUGHT WITH A PISTOL WHILE RIDING HIS BIKE.
Earlier in the summer Critical Mass rode naked downtown to Grant Park, and we let em get away with it.
To 9/02/2007 04:17:00 A.M.
You and I are from the same generation, and seem to have had similar experiences growing up. Thanks for the great thread!
You know, in the 'teens and early twenties the State of Illnois actually required licenses for bicycles, which were a widely used form of everyday transportation at that time. Small 2 1/2 - 3" dia. numbered discs/tags required to be affixed to the bikes. With all the dough being spent on "improvements" to facilitate using bicycles as everyday transit, sounds like an old idea that would be timely and a good source of revenue to support such "improvements". Tie that with mandatory liability insurance, now we got us a game.
Oh, sorry, me bad... Da Mayor would never want to offend the Chicago Bike Federation. They might not pose with him for his next "I'm a regular guy, riding a bike" photo op. Or they might take away his training wheels...
Try asking the Internets, you might learn something:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass
Let's see..no Jesse or Sharpton..no Flagler or gangbanger....so no media
I am personally going to rent a Humvee (H1) edition and will ride that gas gussling motherfucker right in the middle of these pieces of shits bike ride. Lets see if they have the stones to confront me. Just for the hell of it, I'm going to put extra gas cans on the back for effect. I hope you faggot suburbanite wanna be hippies are reading.
I ran into these assholes (not literally, but I can dream, can't I?) one night as they swarmed my vehicle, trying to get me to hit them. The traffic was slowed to a crawl as we slowly inched past these morons. One day someone will lose it and run them over en mass, what a shame that would be...
Hey I've been on those rides and they're a good thing for Chicago. Try it before you knock it.
Why all the 'anonymous' post in your comments?
It's a bunch of people out for a bike ride - nothing more, nothing less. There's no organization, no leaders, no structure, no dues; it's all free.
It is NOT a protest, though there are protesters among them.
They don't block traffic, they are traffic.
The running of red lights is nothing more than the same thing as a funeral cortege. The group stays together for the safety of all. If the front of the group reaches a red light, it stops.
What's it take, 5-10 minutes for the group to pass by? Is everybody in that much of a rush?
Another similar story at http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_224/criticallook.html
Another similar story out of San Diego last Friday: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070901-9999-7m1bikers.html
Yes, there are "massholes' in the group, but they're the minority. Don't condemn the majority for the actions of a few.
And for heaven's sake, slow down and enjoy the parade passing by. It seems like most motorists along the way are doing just that.
I've seen 'em go by. Lots of cute girls, maybe I'll go next time!
Here's one video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxWxd6zVmJI&NR=1
Critial Mass is a bunch of young and underemployed bike meesengers and kids with too much free time. They bill the rides as a "protest march" and get some regular suckers to ride along. They cork the streets and agitate drivers trying to provoke an incident. When they have the numbers, things have gotten out of hand. This group has gone "wilding" on more than one occassion and people have been hurt.
More goofs organizing for no known purpose.
Critical mass always has something on the indymedia site.
Hey I've been on those rides and they're a good thing for Chicago. Try it before you knock it
How does this ride benefit Chicago? it does nothing but create massive gridlock, defiance to traffic laws and infuriates motorists, as well as headaches for us....
I was there on Aug 31st 07'. These riders forgot what the ride was about. I ride everyday for the Dept. and these liberal A.H.'s disobey every law out there. It has turned into a frat party on two wheels. While I advocate biking these anarchists ride into oncoming traffic, they're drinking beer and throwing their cans @ innocent motorists, disobeying police orders and creating a safety issue by blocking the streets for emergency vehicles. I just hope one day when one of their family members need an ambulance or us for that matter, that we are clogged up downtown because these A.H's are partying while riding their bikes and disobeying the laws set by the city. they like to video everything, and I for one am glad they got me on video that shows the chaos they create. I will be showing the video to the judge in court on how certain riders have a total disregard for authority. I can only say " I can't wait until the Sept ride". I will definitely have a video camera of my own to show what a disgrace this ride has become!
I wonder if mayor stupid has a taxpayer purchased bike to haul his stupid ass around on.
I doubt that dana has a bike...no place to carry the bimbos!
They hate it when you use them as slaloms.
if they vandalize my suv i will fuck them up!
...The running of red lights is nothing more than the same thing as a funeral cortege...
But you're not a funeral cortege, and the law does not afford you the right to disregard red lights.
Smelly hippies
Didn't they try to ride on LSD a few years ago & a bunch got locked up?
"Draft dodging liberal hippie scum!" Too bad the black kid from the durkin park incident didn't run through this crowd.
Critical Mass includes a broad spectrum of people. Young bike messengers are a small portion of the ride. There are always some assholes, and always some good people, as in any slice of society or any occupation.
Some people ride to protest various issues (car dependence, the Iraq war, etc.). For others, it is a social event of the local bike community.
Many people in Crtiical Mass make a point to clear the street quickly when emergency vehicles need to pass through. It doesn't always work perfectly, and not everyone cooperates. Sometimes overzealeous police sergeants make the situation worse.
A bit of flexibility goes a long way on both sides of this equation.
Anonymous said...
I am personally going to rent a Humvee (H1) edition and will ride that gas gussling motherfucker right in the middle of these pieces of shits bike ride. Lets see if they have the stones to confront me. Just for the hell of it, I'm going to put extra gas cans on the back for effect. I hope you faggot suburbanite wanna be hippies are reading.
9/02/2007 04:14:00 PM
Nice fantasy Rambo,now go back to fixing dinner for your husband.
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