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47 wackos arrested in Manhattan mass bike ride
More than 700 bicyclists, fresh off a victory in federal court, hit the streets of Manhattan Friday night, with police making 47 arrests and accusing riders of
The judge, however, did stress that police may enforce the law or seize unattended bicycles that obstruct traffic.
a "breach of faith that posed unacceptable safety hazards." Police, who escorted the bicyclists from Union Square into midtown and back, made 10 arrests at West 11th Street and Seventh Avenue, apparently because they were beyond the route the NYPD had established and were interfering with traffic. The other arrests were made elsewhere along and off the predetermined route, police said.

Critical Mass, as the monthly ride is known, has taken place the last Friday of each month in the city since 1998, but it generated little media or police attention until the weeks leading up to the Republican National Convention. It has since become a flashpoint between bicyclists who say they are just looking to promote pollution-free transportation -- though a small percentage are vocal about their opposition to President George W. Bush -- and City Hall and the NYPD, which are adamant about maintaining law and order. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge William Pauley III denied an injunction sought by the city to bar Friday's ride unless the cyclists obtained a permit. The judge, however, did stress that police may enforce the law or seize unattended bicycles that obstruct traffic. Police did just that, (bravo!) with Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, the department's top spokesman, noting in a statement that "those arrested rode against oncoming traffic and stop signals and otherwise violated the law."
Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-10-30
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=47358