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/