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NYC Critical Mass: Victory Lap and Coat Drop-Off
[A Press Release From TIME'S UP!]
http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/137664/ * In Two-Wheeled Victory Lap, Critical Mass Cyclists to Celebrate Federal Ruling on New Year's Eve * Riders to Drop Off Coats at NYPD Precinct in First "Winter-Coat Drive Critical Mass" Hundreds of cyclists will gather Friday for their monthly Critical Mass ride to celebrate last week's federal court decision, in which Judge William H. Pauley III ruled that the cyclists' did not need a parade permit to continue their beloved ride. Friday also marks the first ever Winter Coat-Drive Critical Mass, which will help collect unneeded coats and jackets (no sweaters, please!) brought to the ride by cyclists and deliver them to coat dropoff centers at local NYPD precincts. In an annual competition, organized by NY Cares, precincts compete against one another to see which will receive the most donated coats! http://www.nycares.org/ In light of last week's ruling, Critical Mass riders hope for an end to the arrests that began at August's ride prior to the Republican National Convention. "Judge Pauley's ruling legitimized what cyclists have been saying all along: that we're not stopping traffic, WE ARE TRAFFIC! Traffic doesn't need a permit," said Leah Rorvig, a volunteer with TIME'S UP!, an environmental advocacy organization that promotes the ride. In his decision, Judge Pauley wrote: "The applicability of the parade permit has not been adequately delineated by any federal or state court decision." In so ruling, Judge Pauley affirmed the right of New York City's cyclists to gather and ride together in Critical Mass. In an earlier decision in the same case, Judge Pauley granted five cyclists' injunction to prevent illegal bicycle confiscation by the police. "We believe that the judge was legally correct, and hopefully the strength of his legal argument will deter the city from seeking to appeal," said attorney Norman Siegel, who represented cyclists in the case. "As Judge Pauley pointed out, Critical Mass has been going on peacefully for more than a decade. The only thing that's changed in recent months is the sudden police hostility towards the ride," said Bill DiPaola, a TIME'S UP! volunteer. "The holiday season is a time for peace and love. In the spirit of the season, I hope the police respect the beautiful community event that is Critical Mass and avoid making further arrests." TIME'S UP! recently created a legal defense fund, which will help those cyclists whose bikes have been confiscated, aid those who were arrested for riding in Critical Mass, and attempt to repay both the private attorneys and the National Lawyers Guild attorneys who generously advised and represented cyclists in legal proceedings. Started in San Francisco in 1992, Critical Mass rides now take place monthly in almost 400 cities on six continents: http://www.critical-mass.org/ Critical Mass is an organic and self-sustaining event with no leaders and no central organization. In every city that has a Critical Mass ride, some local residents simply picked a date, time, and location for the ride and publicized it, and thus the ride was born. Schedule of Events for Friday, Dec. 31: 7:00 p.m., Union Square North -- Critical Mass cyclists gather to collect coats for the coat drive. Shortly thereafter, the ride will depart and stop at a nearby police precinct to deliver the donated coats. 8:30 - 10:20 p.m. -- Party at the TIME'S UP! Space, 49 East Houston Street 10:30 p.m., North Side of Washington Square Park -- Cyclists will gather for the start of the seventh annual TIME'S UP! New Year's Eve PARTY ON WHEELS, featuring a ride to Central Park's Belvedere Castle to watch the evenings fireworks display organized by the Road Runners Club. (This is not a Critical Mass ride.) For More Info: http://www.times-up.org/ |
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