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RR: September 2000
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We conceived Critical Mass to be a new kind of political space, not about PROTESTING, but about CELEBRATING our vision of preferable alternatives, most obviously in this case bicycling over car culture.” --Chris Carlsson, a founder of the San Francisco Critical Mass, September 1992

Corporate "news"paper account, follow the links to the truth.

Upon arriving to Loring Park at 4:55 p.m., I noticed a large contingent of Minneapolis police on hand. 6 biking cops, 4 squad cars & 1 booking mini-van, 1 undercover mini-van. The internal combustion police numbered about 12.

Word in the mass crowd indicated that the police said, "if you leave the park in numbers greater than two, you will be arrested for not having a parade permit". "Because of your hold up of Hennipen Avenue last year (it was actually August 25, 2000) we are proactively protecting you from road rage" "On your website it said your sole purpose is to be brats, that's why all of you are here". We have video tape of the police making statements to this effect as well as other threats.

The Mass met and discussed options.

Primary among the options discussed were to 1) Ride separately and meet at 1111 Washington South to continue a true Mass ride, 2) Just take off and ride the Mass as it should be, 3) Ride around Loring park for 20 minutes and meet up at 1111 Washington South. 4) Ride around Loring Park.

We decided to ride around Loring Park. I rode one lap and came up to a T intersection that had a stop sign. I blew through it without giving it a 2nd thought. A biker cop pulled me over and stated, "now, going through a stop sign right in front of me wasn't too smart". I was thinking, depends on your motive, but I let it slide. I truly did not realize I had offended his manhood, police training and various and sundry other macho elements of his personal makeup. So, I had to leave.

At one point we gathered by the southwest corner of the park at Hennepin Ave and discussed changing directions. The massers were deciding where to go and discussing with the police why they were not allowed to bike on the street. This is when I heard from the police that we were supposed to apply for a permit. He said that he heard we were going to obstruct traffic. I never heard such a thing and I found it strange because we're not blocking traffic--we are traffic!

At this point one officer declared that we must all leave the park--but not together--or be arrested. We asked on what grounds would he arrest us, and he just said that he has told us all that he will. We then dispersed.

This episode is very discouraging, as we feel that we want to bring to the public's attention the terrible problems brought on by our transportation system--it pollutes terribly, consumes limited natural resources, such as oil, is very expensive, is bad for our health for many reasons not the least of which is that it does not provide exercise, and is very dangerous. I feel that if we could expose these issues with our car-crazed culture many people would choose alternative forms of transportation. At least realize that the 1-2 mile trips should be done on a bike rather than a car - that's a huge step in the right direction.