Police arrest 78 at New Year celebrations and traffic will be badlydelayed by today's parade.

It is interesting to see police targeting an authorised, non-political
public demonstration for a change while the similarly authorised New
Year's Day parade is likely to cause a great deal more traffic
disruption than a Critical Mass of cyclists once a month. I wonder if
it will be corked by police approved stewards?

Of course, the difference with Critical Mass is that although it is
approved in law as a customarily held procession it is not approved by
police, who lost their case against it. Consequently, the police do
not help with the CM procession as they do with other processions and
this can contribute to conflict with drivers.

BTW the December CM ride happened to coincide with Christmas Day this
year and despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up.

Mo
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8436065.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8400331.stm

--
Critical Mass London
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk
"Get out of my way you f*ing cyclist"

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:14:21 -0800 (PST), Doug
wrote:

[uk.legal removed]

BTW the December CM ride happened to coincide with Christmas Day this
year and despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up.

Southwark Cyclists Christmas Day ride through empty London Streets had
86 cyclists.

I was too busy stuffing my face with turkey to go cycling.

Doug wrote:
It is interesting to see police targeting an authorised, non-political
public demonstration for a change while the similarly authorised New
Year's Day parade is likely to cause a great deal more traffic
disruption than a Critical Mass of cyclists once a month. I wonder if
it will be corked by police approved stewards?

Of course, the difference with Critical Mass is that although it is
approved in law as a customarily held procession it is not approved by
police, who lost their case against it. Consequently, the police do
not help with the CM procession as they do with other processions and
this can contribute to conflict with drivers.

BTW the December CM ride happened to coincide with Christmas Day this
year and despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up.

How can that be called a Mass then?

Anyway, what are you doing associating with a Mass? I thought you disowned
anything so obviously religious.

Doug wrote:
It is interesting to see police targeting an authorised, non-political
public demonstration for a change while the similarly authorised New
Year's Day parade is likely to cause a great deal more traffic
disruption than a Critical Mass of cyclists once a month. I wonder if
it will be corked by police approved stewards?

You really do come up with some twaddle don't you Doug? The police always
attend mass gatherings because, inevitably, there will be crime committed
there. Note the comment in your linked article:

"Those arrested were held for various offences including being drunk and
disorderly, assault, public order offences, possession of drugs and sexual
offences."

Are you suggesting that the police should *not* target law breaking?

Kev

On 01/01/2010 10:11, Norman Wells wrote:


How can that be called a Mass then?

Anyway, what are you doing associating with a Mass? I thought you
disowned anything so obviously religious.

Living up to your PotW award, I see.

On Jan 1, 7:14*am, Doug wrote:
It is interesting to see police targeting an authorised, non-political
public demonstration for a change while the similarly authorised New
Year's Day parade is likely to cause a great deal more traffic
disruption than a Critical Mass of cyclists once a month. I wonder if
it will be corked by police approved stewards?

Of course, the difference with Critical Mass is that although it is
approved in law as a customarily held procession it is not approved by
police, who lost their case against it. Consequently, the police do
not help with the CM procession as they do with other processions and
this can contribute to conflict with drivers.

BTW the December CM ride happened to coincide with Christmas Day this
year and despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up.

Mohttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...on/8400331.stm

--
Critical Mass Londonhttp://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk
"Get out of my way you f*ing cyclist"

Why would the police not be there to arrest those who brokhe law?

The new years parade is in no way similar to CM, nor is it similarly
authorised, but you know that don't you?

So now it's the police's fault that CM causes problems.

Only 30 turned up at CM, what should we call it, perhaps unimportant
few,
Perhaps the usual ones were not let out by their keepers, poor souls,
no trains, perhaps they should have used their bikes.

WSR

Happi Monday wrote:
On 01/01/2010 10:11, Norman Wells wrote:


How can that be called a Mass then?

Anyway, what are you doing associating with a Mass? I thought you
disowned anything so obviously religious.

Living up to your PotW award, I see.

At least I don't have to go back to school next week.

"Doug" wrote in message
...
It is interesting to see police targeting an authorised,
non-political
public demonstration for a change while the similarly authorised New
Year's Day parade is likely to cause a great deal more traffic
disruption than a Critical Mass of cyclists once a month. I wonder
if
it will be corked by police approved stewards?

Of course, the difference with Critical Mass is that although it is
approved in law as a customarily held procession it is not approved
by
police, who lost their case against it. Consequently, the police do
not help with the CM procession as they do with other processions
and
this can contribute to conflict with drivers.

BTW the December CM ride happened to coincide with Christmas Day
this
year and despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up.

Wasn't very critical then.

Doug wrote:
It is interesting to see police targeting an authorised, non-political
public demonstration for a change while the similarly authorised New
Year's Day parade is likely to cause a great deal more traffic
disruption than a Critical Mass of cyclists once a month. I wonder if
it will be corked by police approved stewards?

Of course, the difference with Critical Mass is that although it is
approved in law as a customarily held procession it is not approved by
police, who lost their case against it. Consequently, the police do
not help with the CM procession as they do with other processions and
this can contribute to conflict with drivers.

BTW the December CM ride happened to coincide with Christmas Day this
year and despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up.


That last paragraph/sentence really sums it all up, doesn't it:
"...despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up."

So most of these law-breaking dick-heads will only turn up to one of
their childish demonstrations if the the trains are running? What's
wrong with using their bikes? Presumably they find it's not worth the
effort if there aren't any other road users to harass and intimidate?



Mo
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8436065.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8400331.stm

--
Critical Mass London
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk
"Get out of my way you f*ing cyclist"


--
Moving things in still pictures

®i©ardo writes:

That last paragraph/sentence really sums it all up, doesn't it:
"...despite a complete lack of trains 30 riders turned up."

So most of these law-breaking dick-heads will only turn up to one of
their childish demonstrations if the the trains are running? What's
wrong with using their bikes? Presumably they find it's not worth the
effort if there aren't any other road users to harass and intimidate?

Or perhaps more reasonably, as this *is* after all the season of charity
and goodwill to all, most are cycle commuters who will only turn up to
CM if it can be incorporated into a journey they would be making anyway,
and like most of the rest of us they don't work Christmas Day.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that there exists a number of
already-lost-the-plot troublemakers come in by train expressly for the
purpose of cycling around London at walking pace, but I can't help
hoping they're the minority


-dan