big weekend

According to Newsday and NY1, thirty-four people were arrested for "riding in a bicycle procession without a permit" on Friday night. It was the twelfth anniversary of the critical mass bicycle ride to promote alternative forms of transportation.

This writer was present at Union Square about 7:15 PM. The cops were gathered around the north section of the Square, where they distributed their fliers, played their recorded warning and showed a strong presence. There were so few riders there that I knew they had to be riding somewhere else.

I went over to the south end of the Square, where the protest against curbing freedom of speech had occurred earlier. There were a lot of people with bicycles waiting there, the drum corps played, and others carried signs and milled around.