Ride on!
Hundreds join June 30 Critical Mass — which ends peacefully
Marlo Campbell
Two months ago I didn’t even know what a Critical Mass
was.
Now I can say I’ve participated in the largest one in
Winnipeg history.
The June 30 ride was a big deal for me. I’m not a particularly
physically active person and I hadn’t been on a bike
since I was a child. As such, I was nervous about my lack
of cycling skills, let alone the very real possibility of
debilitating muscle cramps and/or a full-fledged asthma attack.
However, I had decided it was important to experience a Critical
Mass first-hand if I was to write about it with any credibility.
Uptown has been covering the story since freelance photographer
and Uptown contributor Jon Schledewitz was arrested while
covering the May 3 event, and Uptown deputy editor Mike Warkentin
witnessed May 26’s contentious ride, which ended in
a melee of arrests and allegations that police used excessive
force. In case you haven’t heard, Critical Mass is a
loosely organized movement, involving leaderless groups of
cyclists who get together monthly and ride through the streets
in cities all over the world.
Individuals participate for a variety of reasons — some
are making a public statement about car culture and our society’s
gluttonous consumption of fossil fuels. Others show up to
promote cycling, protest inadequate bike infrastructure or
meet other like-minded people. Some just want to have fun
in a large group.
Apprehensive but undaunted, I got my partner to show me how
to work the gears and brakes of his bike in pre-Mass preparation.
I did a leisurely test ride around my neighbourhood and discovered
cycling was not nearly as exhausting as I had expected.
Of course, trying to keep up with rush-hour traffic on a muggy
Friday afternoon is a different story, and after pedalling
furiously down Notre Dame Avenue for 15 minutes, I arrived
at Central Park — the rendezvous location — panting,
sweaty and ready to pass the hell out.
At least 200 people were there — a huge increase from
the 50 to 70 Winnipeggers who had participated in the May
26 ride.
Uncertain-looking newbies stood around waiting for direction
while more experienced Massers wandered through the crowd
and passed out literature, including a 31-page ’zine,
Velodrama, featuring background information, safety guidelines
and tips on how to interact with police and media.
For a bunch of activists with no leader, it seemed as though
the cyclists had managed to get a lot done. Then again, according
to Velodrama “reporters are a crafty bunch. They can
and will take anything you say and edit to suit their own
purposes.”
Clearly my perception can’t be trusted.
Before the ride started, excitement was in the air, along
with an occasional waft of marijuana smoke. An enterprising
Dickie Dee guy had parked himself in the middle of it all
and was doing a brisk business. Some people were decked out
in costumes. Others carried signs.
Police officers on bikes kept their distance but made their
presence known. While they weren’t overtly friendly,
they weren’t particularly menacing, either, and they
all wore yellow Lance Armstrong bracelets, which I thought
was cute.
Hundreds of bike bells signalled the start of the ride (how
did everyone know?), and we set off en masse toward Portage
Avenue — a rag-tag group of cyclists, skateboarders,
inline skaters and at least one guy in a wheelchair. Our numbers
had grown to around 300, and we stretched out over several
city blocks.
‘Corkers’ stood with their bodies
between us and the cars as we approached the first major intersection
and proceeded through. When the light turned red light and
the procession continued, no one was arrested or ticketed.
I began to relax.
I had expected confrontation. Instead, the mood was festive.
As we crossed Main Street, a man trapped in the long line
of waiting cars (thanks to us) actually got out of his vehicle
and applauded. People honked in support. When we ended up
at The Forks, cyclists lifted their bikes in the air and cheered.
The post-Mass media release issued by Const. Jacqueline Chaput
of the Winnipeg Police Service paints a decidedly different
picture. It points out that many cyclists disregarded the
Highway Traffic Act by taking up all lanes of traffic and
riding on the sidewalk (both true). It says by doing so these
cyclists endangered themselves and others (debatable —
I felt very safe throughout the entire ride, and I’m
awkward at best on a bike).
It continues, somewhat ominously:
“Based on Critical
Mass’s choosing not to make the ride a peaceful and
orderly event, we will evaluate the issue which may guide
our response regarding any future rides.”
Huh? I thought both cyclists and police officers behaved appropriately
and respectfully. To me, the ride was peaceful and orderly.
And it was fun!
Then again, I’m just a crafty reporter, so don’t
believe anything I have to say. Instead, show up at the next
Critical Mass, on July 28, and judge for yourself. |
Uptown
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