The next NYC critical mass is this Friday 5/29 at 7pm starting at union square north. Come out and enjoy what is now becoming a much safer ride.

Critical Mass is a leaderless bike ride that takes place in 100s of cities worldwide on the last Friday of every month. The New York Police Department has had a very confrontational relationship with the NYC ride since 2004. From 2004 – 2007, hundreds of police officers were dispatched each month to stop the ride and arrest the participants, deploying helicopters, blimps and undercover officers with video cameras to monitor the ride and engage in the violent take down of the cyclists, initiating a civil rights battle. After much embarrassing media attention and several losses in court, the NYPD were forced to retreat from these tactics. The arrests have stopped, but the police continue to harass riders by giving out tickets to cyclists who do not have lights or bells on their bikes. Anyone receiving this ticket can get it annulled by presenting lights and/or bells and their ticket to a precinct the following day.

Hence - please come to the ride but make sure you have a bell and lights on the front and back of your bike - this will significantly reduce a chance that you will be harassed by the police.

This selective targeting is currently being challenged in federal court in the Five Borough Bike Club vs NYC . See http://5bbc.org/parade