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Eleven citations at Sacramento Critical Mass

by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
A group of over twenty local bicyclists attempted to peacefully demonstrate for SAFER STREETS and AGAINST WAR FOR OIL on Friday, March 7, 2003. They were met with fierce discrimination from local police which included at least eleven citations and instances of physical abuse against two young women.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2003

Police Harassment Continues at Sacramento Critical Mass Bicycle Demonstrations

A group of twenty local bicyclists attempted to peacefully demonstrate for safer streets and against war for oil on Friday, March 7, 2003. They were met with fierce discrimination from local police which included at least ten citations and instances of physical abuse against two young women.

"We expected a possible return of the problems of the past," said Jason Meggs of the Bicycle Civil Liberties Union, which is coordinating a lawsuit brought by Critical Mass riders against the Sacramento Police Department after a long run of abuses from May through September of 2001. "The past two months there has been a return of an excessive police presence, and last month there were four citations which broke up the ride. There is no question that their goal is to crush First Amendment protected free speech in Cailfornia's Capitol."

The demonstrations gather to rally for sustainable transportation at the north steps of the Capitol building on the first Friday of every month. The rally is permitted through the CHP. After the rally, the group asserts its right to the road by bicycling lawfully and peacefully on city streets, chanting slogans and passing out flyers to cheering passersby.

"We aren't blocking traffic, we are traffic!" stated one young woman who rode in the group.

Police did not respect the demonstrators' right to the road, issuing many citations which were false on their face. At one point, because bicyclists had been stopped by police all along J Street, the remaining cyclists stopped and walked on the sidewalk in front of a gas station chanting, "No War For Oil -- Stop Harassing Bicyclists!" while police drove about the gas station lot and filmed them.

On Friday's ride, bicyclists primarily occupied the right lane on larger one-way streets and stopped for red lights and stop signs. Some cyclists at times occupied the left lane on one way streets with two or more lanes, as authorized under CVC 21202(b).

Nevertheless, police exercised what amounted to zero tolerance with malice against the group. In contrast, officers ignored violations by motorists who repeatedly ran red lights, drove under darkness without headlights on, and more. In one instance, SPD Sgt. Huff claimed that one young man's brand new light, purchased in a bicycle shop, was not street legal because it "did not illuminate the road". Observers were flabbergasted because the light did brighten up a long oval patch of pavement in front of the demonstrator's bicycle.

"They said they were specially assigned to Critical Mass and were not supposed to worry about anything else," stated another young woman who was cited on the ride when she allegedly failed to turn her headlight on when first mounting her bicycle. "They even drove a car down the sidewalk and when we pointed out that they could have hurt a disabled person they ignored us. It's an outrage that all these police are following us around, rather than doing something helpful for the community."

Background information including past press releases and links to photos and video can be found at http://www.bclu.org/sactocm/

Contact: Jason Meggs, (510) 816-2453, email jmeggs -a -t- bclu dot or g
BCLU and NLG attorney Larry Hildes, 360-715-9788
§lights to ride
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Cyclists made sure they had lights. The BCLU brought a bag of 20 lights, available for sliding scale at cost. The Missing Link Bicycle Cooperative arranged the purchase at wholesale cost. The month before two riders were given citations for no headlamp. Such treatment is unjustified because the cyclists are travelling in a tight group with multiple lights within the group, occupying an entire lane, with a police escort.

§and they\'re off!
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Leaving the capitol grounds to begin the ride.
§a fan sings us a song
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
sacto-4.jpg
this gentleman called out "Hey it's Critical Mass!" from the sidelines and sang us a song in support.
§First citations
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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After going only a few blocks, three people were pulled over to the left and one was pulled over to the right.
§Cited for impeding traffic
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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The citations were primarily for impeding traffic, CVC 22400(a). However, bicycles are defined as traffic in the vehicle code, and there are many allowances for a bicycle to take an entire lane even when travelling alone under the CVC 21202 section. More importantly, the First Amendment comes FIRST, taking precedence over traffic laws. The right to assemble and ride in a group to protest the catatstophic conditions facing the world right now must not be abrogated or abridged.
§Harassment citations on both sides of the street.
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Cyclists were being cited on both sides of the street at 12th and J Sts. These citations are invalid and cyclists plan to contest them and file complaints against individual officers and the Department.
§NO BLOOD FOR OIL!
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Frequent chants of "NO WAR FOR OIL!" and related slogans were issued by participants in the ride.
§One pulled over by loudspeaker, three cited.
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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The gentleman in the backpack was pulled over for allegedly leaving the right hand lane, which is legal for him to do in many instances under the California Vehicle Code.

The officer who pulled him over, T. Cooke SPD #725, next asked two of the witnesses who stopped to observe for their identification. They had been riding to the right, obeying all traffic laws. Clearly Cooke harassed them for exercising their right to observe for the protection of the first demonstrator.

They had good reason for concern.

Officer Cooke has a history of abusing peoples' rights at demonstrations in Sacramento. Two young women on the ride say that he was physically violent towards them without provocation later in the evening, injuring at least one of them. One of the women he attacked says that at an anti-war demonstration in the past, during which she was visibly pregant, Cooke pushed her to the ground in a manner which hurt her pregnant belly. At the December 6, 2002 Sacramento Critical Mass, in which riders were assaulted and battered by an individual impersonating a police officer, another rider has stated that Cooke was "a little too comfortable with the guy to have just met" and that he "was walking around looking really smug\" and looked "way too happy about what had happened to us". Cooke subsequently seized the video tape showing the first portion of the attack, and illegally did not issue a property receipt for it.

When asked about the tape during this enforcement stop, he denied knowledge of it. There are many other things which suggest that the Sacramento Police is covering up this incident and suggest officers may have been involved in its creation.

Here\'s the IMC story regarding that incident:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2002/12/1548311.php
§Citing an observer
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Here is one of the two observers who had been riding to the right, who stopped and walked back to observe the citation. She is issued a citation, essentially for exercising her right to observe.
§Threatens videographer
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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This videographer was then threatened to be put in the back of his car for speaking peacefully to the officer about the incident.
§NO BLOOD FOR OIL!
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Riders made good use of their time while they waited for the lengthy string of citations to conclude and for their fellow demonstrators to arrive, by marching along the outskirts of a gas station with their bicycles (effectively a symbol of independence from oil) chanting against oil wars.
§Police filmed the demonstrators from their car.
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Police filmed the demonstrators from their car, which has a video camera mounted in front on the roof.
§Support from motorists
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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This African American family of three shouted support, saying "No War for Oil!" even as they filled up their car.
§More chanting
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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More chanting.
§We\'re always following you.
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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This officer stated that the police always follow Critical Mass, while his partner filmed me. I pointed out that numerous times, the group has been assaulted by motorists when the police did not intervene to help even when asked to.
§Bicycle patrol against bicyclists.
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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Bicycle patrol against bicyclists.
§No blood for oil!
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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More chanting, No Blood for Oil!
§A donation from a motorist!
by Jason Meggs (( jm eggs at b clu dot org ))
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This motorist voluntarily offered a wad of bills to the riders in support. "Go buy yourselves coffee". A woman called out that the group would use it for legal defense.

More photos will be posted below in the comments, we only get 20 here. I hope you've enjoyed them. Please support the effort if you can. Demonstrators need legal support, press support, video support, flyer support, cash support and of course your participation.

From the Bay Area, meet at the Emeryville Amtrak station at 13:30 on the first Friday, group discount passes are arranged. Please call me if you need to get on at another station (e.g., Richmond, Berkeley, etc.).

For more information about Critical Masses occurring around the world,

http://www.critical-mass.org/

and next Friday March 14 is the TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BERKELEY CRITICAL MASS. Gather 5:30 PM Downtown Berkeley BART to depart after 6 PM. Party to follow.

http://www.berkeleycriticalmass.org/
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Da Bombalast
Mon, Apr 21, 2008 10:42AM
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Wed, Jan 19, 2005 1:51PM
criminal mass
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Rider
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