Joined: 23 Jan 2006Posts: 457Location: Remington Country
At least Seattle likes bikes. Looks like Minneapolis needs a "Cycling is not a Crime" campaign...
srsly
Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:24 am
Joined: 12 Jun 2006Posts: 35Location: Sand Point
that really blows. apparently the Minn. PoPo have a reputation for "getting out of hand." i mean hell, the twin cities has their own community action group to fight police brutality in the area.
i think the RNC Welcoming Committe going on this weekend in Minneapolis is making the cops a bit jumpy. i guess you can mistake a bunch of people on bikes that are seen every month for anarchists... the official version claims the cops showed up because of complaints that one rider was riding against traffic antagonizing drivers. this is a lame cover for a couple cops that thought they were going to be heroes by busting up some anarchists. seems like it got out of hand after they realized their mistake and couldn't back down. personally i think mass is a bunch of terrorists but so long as they're following law (or within reasonable bounds of bending it to get the point across, which sounds like the case here) the cops have no reason to call in a riot team.
patr0ck
Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:57 pm
Joined: 02 Aug 2007Posts: 42Location: travelling between issaquah and seattle
Damn, that's fucked up! Sounds like the police completely overreacted.
"They call it a riot? Nah, I call it an uprising."
_________________
Aaron
Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:12 pm
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 4645
of course they were arrested. they aren't wearing helmets!
I think we can all agree that what occured was excessive, probably illegally so.
But I can't get over how the indymedia.org article begins with something along the lines of bragging how around "500 or more" people turned on the cop to come to the aid of the stragglers, then claims unprovoked brutality on the part of the cops.
Imagine you're in the cop's shoes and 500 or so people, many swinging bikes over their heads suddenly turn on you, screaming and chanting (like we've all done in the mass). Furthermore, there is a major conference in town that you know will draw direct action events, some of whichmay include people who have threatened to intentionally start riots to make a point.
Frankly, people are lucky that they got a shot of mace or a harsh submission hold and not lethal force.
Major Major Major Major
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:36 am
Joined: 09 Dec 2006Posts: 6Location: Minneapolis, MN
That picture of people with bikes over their heads maybe created some confusion. The picture is from early on in the ride, before the nasty stuff started, and shows a "Minneapolis hold up," same as the Chicago hold up.
When the police started attacking us, there were no bikers wielding bikes over their heads, or using weapons of any kind. The most we did was chant when the cops arrested people for no reason.
There's a short video here of one particularly unwarranted arrest; I was right behind this girl, who was trying to bike away when a cop tackled her off her bike. Then another cop started macing the crowd.
An article here includes links to other articles, if you're interested.
_________________ Evelyn
TrikerTrev
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:30 am
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
Major Major Major Major wrote:
That picture of people with bikes over their heads maybe created some confusion. The picture is from early on in the ride, before the nasty stuff started, and shows a "Minneapolis hold up," same as the Chicago hold up.
When the police started attacking us, there were no bikers wielding bikes over their heads, or using weapons of any kind. The most we did was chant when the cops arrested people for no reason.
There's a short video here of one particularly unwarranted arrest; I was right behind this girl, who was trying to bike away when a cop tackled her off her bike. Then another cop started macing the crowd.
An article here includes links to other articles, if you're interested.
thanks for the actual on the ground report...good to have the record set straight against the BS assumptions we clueless here have.
This incident really sucks a ball, and hopefully will only be a black eye for CM (but a missing tooth for your po-po).
A good point to recognize here children, cops react...badly at times...for little reason. Any of you here remember or get stuck/participate in the WTO riots?
I do/did. We live in a country where cops behave badly, so keep that in mind at all times, thank you.
_________________ Insufferable ass, est. 1969
ksep
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:25 am
Joined: 27 Jan 2007Posts: 1879Location: Westlake
Three cops to tackle a non-violent suspect? Where have I seen that before...
_________________ -Kevin
DJStroky
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:03 am
Joined: 25 May 2007Posts: 356Location: Downtown Tacoma
Major Major Major Major wrote:
There's a short video here of one particularly unwarranted arrest; I was right behind this girl, who was trying to bike away when a cop tackled her off her bike. Then another cop started macing the crowd.
That right there is really fucked up. I hope those officers get punished or something.
_________________ Tacoma isn't that bad... well maybe it is
TrikerTrev
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:07 am
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
abamfici wrote:
Three cops to tackle a non-violent suspect? Where have I seen that before...
yeah, that kicks ASS!!!
...ya know, i sure in the fuck hope to gawd I don't EVAR participate in a mass where shit like that happens...i have a zero tolerance personal policy on that kind of shit and would likely attack the cops.
i'm gonna catch flack for that but, FTW...who the hell do the police think they are randomly assaulting folks? thats not legal for anybody...fucking shitgarglers.
really kinda bums me out to see that happen and no one do anything about it. i'd at least throw a bike at the fuckbags. i'm telling ya, if folks fought back when a few police pull stupid stunts (especially when caught on film) at some point their mentality would have to change.
I really hate the good ole boy network that allows that behavior. they're nothing but criminals with a badge (and a gun!?!)...above the law they "swear" to uphold and protect.
/rant
_________________ Insufferable ass, est. 1969
Seven
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:26 am
suddenly quite whiny!Joined: 24 Aug 2007Posts: 345Location: Cap Hill
I totally agree Trev. If shit of that magnitude ever went down here, the fucking needle would burn and roving bike gangs would rule the streets.
(I guess that's not totally inaccurate for how things are now, but you know what I mean.)
Eric_s
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:24 am
Joined: 07 Mar 2007Posts: 1691Location: the dirty south
Seven wrote:
I totally agree Trev. If shit of that magnitude ever went down here, the fucking needle would burn and roving bike gangs would rule the streets.
Man, if shit like that went down, there'd be roving packs of hipsters on store-bought fixed gears wearing tight ass girlpants getting drunk on capitol hill, and angry letters to the P.I. from the "everyone should drive or be on the sidewalk" crowd.
Wait...
_________________ That's Lemmy, Not Jesus.
MikeOD
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:00 pm
Joined: 04 Feb 2006Posts: 545
Lee, does the new forum software have a Soundoff feature?
Finn
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:09 pm
AlabamaJoined: 15 Sep 2006Posts: 303Location: Central District
TrikerTrev wrote:
...ya know, i sure in the fuck hope to gawd I don't EVAR participate in a mass where shit like that happens...i have a zero tolerance personal policy on that kind of shit and would likely attack the cops.
I appreciate the "mace them back" sentiments. However, escalating against fully armed, publicly funded, fraternally bonded "peace officers" is not advisable for short term conflict. They're virtually unbeatable by conventional means. It's best to go limp, Dr. King style, or line up for beatings, Gandhi style, and then kick ass in the courtroom or media.
Idea: When cops detain 1 cyclist, 400 lay down in the road and go limp. It would take hours to drag them all into custody. (barring tear gas)
TrikerTrev
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:42 pm
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
Finn wrote:
TrikerTrev wrote:
...ya know, i sure in the fuck hope to gawd I don't EVAR participate in a mass where shit like that happens...i have a zero tolerance personal policy on that kind of shit and would likely attack the cops.
I appreciate the "mace them back" sentiments. However, escalating against fully armed, publicly funded, fraternally bonded "peace officers" is not advisable for short term conflict. They're virtually unbeatable by conventional means. It's best to go limp, Dr. King style, or line up for beatings, Gandhi style, and then kick ass in the courtroom or media.
Idea: When cops detain 1 cyclist, 400 lay down in the road and go limp. It would take hours to drag them all into custody. (barring tear gas)
yeah, yeah, i know...but i also know my pea sized brain implodes with the sight of police beating the innocent. It's a small miracle that i wasnt arrested during WTO...throwing gas canisters back at 'em was not on their list of things they were all ready for (although SOME were).
..and as for the limp thing...thats justcrazygenius talk
_________________ Insufferable ass, est. 1969
Mike
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:25 pm
Joined: 28 Jun 2007Posts: 22Location: pill hill
Not saying this is what happened in Minneapolis, because really I have no idea. Just posting this to counter anyone's general tendency to believe in innocent police simply being caught off guard and frightened into violence by people on bikes (who really aren't usually all that scary, no offense). There's a reason they call police paramilitary units "riot police":
If shit of that magnitude ever went down here, the fucking needle would burn and roving bike gangs would rule the streets.
stuff like that has happened here. probably the biggest riot-like CM was in '96 (yes, I'm a geezer) when a single cop in a cruiser barged into a mass, got out of the vehicle and grabbed someone (via their backpack) who he later claimed was pounding on vehicles during the ride. riders surrounded him and demanded the cyclists be let go, the cop freaked out and called for backup, and very soon there was a chaotic scene (imagine at least one cyclist swinging his bike in a 360 circle to keep a cop away from him). more cops arrived, tear gas was used, blah blah. there was then a special CM ride a few weeks later with hundred and hundreds of riders.
and here we are, a decade later, and motorists are complaining about being passed on their right by cyclist in a bike lane.
TrikerTrev
Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 11:08 am
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
stinkbug wrote:
Seven wrote:
If shit of that magnitude ever went down here, the fucking needle would burn and roving bike gangs would rule the streets.
stuff like that has happened here. probably the biggest riot-like CM was in '96 (yes, I'm a geezer) when a single cop in a cruiser barged into a mass, got out of the vehicle and grabbed someone (via their backpack) who he later claimed was pounding on vehicles during the ride. riders surrounded him and demanded the cyclists be let go, the cop freaked out and called for backup, and very soon there was a chaotic scene (imagine at least one cyclist swinging his bike in a 360 circle to keep a cop away from him). more cops arrived, tear gas was used, blah blah. there was then a special CM ride a few weeks later with hundred and hundreds of riders.
and here we are, a decade later, and motorists are complaining about being passed on their right by cyclist in a bike lane.
thats RIGHT!!! It was this riot that got me into CM in the first place. Damn that was a long time ago.
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