[Closed] Police Kettling Cyclists outside Olympic Opening

something to do with shutting the greenway, stopping bikes using VIP olympic lanes, generally telling the strongest nation for competitive cycling that they can bugger off and do it somewhere else. IIRC.

Sound like a bunch of red socks then.

If meehaja is right this is well meaning but damaging to cyclists. Police are going to have enough to contend with tonight without this.

Bunch of dickheads on bikes!

bunnyhop over their heads.

garage-dweller - Member
well meaning but damaging to cyclists.

I was on a flyover with loads of other people when the cyclist? or more like new age types turned up followed by police with cameras and then the cyclist raced off shouting they are trying to kettle us on here and then 20 minutes later they where back followed by a hell of a lot of police with a lot more police in vans with blue light on all seemed to be coming to where we where standing at this I thought time to leave.

I was on a flyover with loads of other people when the cyclist? or more like new age types turned up followed by police with cameras and then the cyclist raced off shouting they are trying to kettle us on here and then 20 minutes later they where back followed by a hell of a lot of police with a lot more police in vans with blue light on all seemed to be coming to where we where standing at this I thought time to leave.

I'm sorry but kettling still sounds like some bizarre sex act to me.

mmmmmmmm, steaming spouts !!!

>well meaning but damaging to cyclists.

= Critical Mass

plonker cyclists

Macca == terrible

Ooops, that bad I posted on the wrong thread 😉

___________
Pies.

Critical Mass = asshats

Pointless protest defused before it started.

Macca == terrible

Ooops, that bad I posted on the wrong thread

Valid point on any thread I reckon.

Still no really verifiable account of what happened, but I suppose every chance CM pushing their luck, daft and pointless really...

I believe critical mass were planning some sort of demo, they were served some legal notice some time ago detailing when and where thy could and couldn't demonstrate and some people seem to have tried to ignore it. Naive or d***heads who happen to own bikes? I'd have thought BW, MC and Team Sky have done more to help cyclists reclaim the streets than CM ever will

+1 for macca comments

RT's take on it...

http://www.rt.com/news/london-police-olympics-arrests-269/

The Freindly Games eh?

😉

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19023104

Let us hope that those idiot self righteous bike riding protestors suffer innumerable punctures for bringing us cyclists into such disrespect.

Especially after the massively good exposure for cyclists, on the media that, Brad Cav and sky, along with lots of other proffesionl cyclists have given us in the last month.

Let us hope that those idiot self righteous bike riding protestors suffer innumerable punctures for bringing us cyclists into such disrespect.

Especially after the massively good exposure for cyclists, on the media that, Brad Cav and sky, along with lots of other proffesionl cyclists have given us in the last month.

Common sense, I like that

I'm not for the Olympics, all the coverage and money blah blah blah, but even I can see that if something like that it on, would it kill Critical Mass to cancel their hipster parade for one week? it would at least give them a chance to update their meaningless blogs, unshape their girls t shirts and iron their ironic glasses

Edit: Having watched the video on RT of the disabled guy getting strongarmed, the police seem to be a little heavy handed, but what can you take from an edited video? He might have been flinging things at them a moment before.

would it kill Critical Mass to cancel their hipster parade for one week? it would at least give them a chance to update their meaningless blogs, unshape their girls t shirts and iron their ironic glasses

Brilliant

And sooooo accurate.

Hipster Nobbers the lot of them.

SKY reclaim the steets with their organised bike rides, and sports events, we didnt need this rent a mob destroying all the good feelings, and buzz about cycling.

we didnt need this rent a mob destroying all the good feelings, and buzz about cycling.

Perish the thought that people having the right to protest in a democracy regardless of whether you agree with that protest or not, should get in the way of making Cyclists "look good".

aah, the right to peacefull protest.
true sign of democracy....
doesn't matter if they are right or wrong, the fact they are/were allowed to do it is a good thing.
if not we might as well be in china or north korea.

Edit can't be bothered.

Critical mass are protesters 1st and cyclists 572nd, the movement has lost its roots, which is a shame, because I would love to join in with what it should be rather than what it has become.

aah, the right to peacefull protest.

aah, the right to peacefull protest.
true sign of democracy....

Balls.

They chose that date and location to cause maximum problems.

And they were quite rightly stopped.

Bunch of muppets in trendy glasses Being arseholes. 🙄

Err.
They do.
Thats the point I was making.

on channel4 news in a while, Jon Snow,is president of some cycling group, so should be good.

Also we still have the right to peaceful protest, but does anyone actyually know what they where protesting about, price of skinny jeans, or cost of designer glases gone up above inflation.

Facist state...
Here we come. 😯

Facist state...
Here we come.

🙄

I think you need to do a bit of research on the "Right to peaceful protest" As you seem to be misunderstanding what it actually is.

I would suggest Yourrights.org.uk as a good place to start.

They do.
Thats the point I was making.

Yep. You have the power too protest if the powers to be let you.
Pretty much covers it.
Lots of peacefull demonstrations seem to be stamped on with a great deal of force.

And was this one of those occasions ?

Or we're they told that the location was off limits on that day, for good reason. And they chose to go there anyway.

If people are so willing to act like ****ing idiots, they shouldn't be too shocked when they get treated like ****ing idiots.

Or were they told that the location was off limits on that day, for good reason. And they chose to go there anyway.

^^This^^. AFAIK, the police started by [i]asking them politely[/i] not to go to that area at that time. Perfectly decent request. CM took their usually "sticking it to the man, man" antagonistic approach to this.

Asshats, total asshats.

As to the "stamped out by force", have a look at things like the Countryside Alliance march, the Stop the War coalition march, and more. Massive, peaceful marches, where those taking part weren't antagonistic asshats with chips on their shoulders. Oh, and quelle surprise, no trouble.

CM are bad for cycling. Their approach, of pretty much trying to find "controversy" at all turns, gives a bad image of cycling at a time when it's really taking off. We need people to embrace, understand and enjoy cycling, not just think that anyone on a bike is an antagonistic asshat.

where those taking part weren't antagonistic asshats with chips on their shoulders.

Didn't get them anywhere though did it? 😉

CM are bad for cycling. Their approach, of pretty much trying to find "controversy" at all turns, gives a bad image of cycling at a time when it's really taking off. We need people to embrace, understand and enjoy cycling, not just think that anyone on a bike is an antagonistic asshat.

🙄

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19028574 ]Damn those people who walk.[/url] They are making anyone who walks anywhere look bad. Down with this sort of thing.

GB cycling team could have done with a Critical Mass protest at the front of the road race today 😉

Damn those people who walk. They are making anyone who walks anywhere look bad. Down with this sort of thing.

Of course that exactly the same isn't it.

(even rollier eyes)

Can someone please change the thread title, since it's misleading.

Police (may have) kettled *protesters* that were holding a protest against advice, contravening the extra rules that London has for organised protests, and at a foolish time when the Police are probably stretched to their limit. If one or two spent a night in cells and go away with a record, maybe they'll think twice next time. Bit like the rioters and looters doing serious bird for what to them probably seemed like spontaneous stupidity.

Now a court did rule a few years back that Critical Mass wasn't an organised protest ride, but "just a ride", and was held with some kind of mutual understanding. Wonder if this foolishness will trigger the Met to seek the opinion of a Judge again ?

CM are bad for cycling. Their approach, of pretty much trying to find "controversy" at all turns, gives a bad image of cycling at a time when it's really taking off. We need people to embrace, understand and enjoy cycling, not just think that anyone on a bike is an antagonistic asshat.

as much as I wholeheartedly agree, the optimist in me can see the positive side to this..

for every sensible, considerate and loving human being that is currently opening their eyes to cycling and the wholesomeness that it delivers, there will always be a dark and brooding rebel without a cause, looking for the next cool thing that will enhance their badboy image, and persuade girls to sleep with them, not for their brains, but for their reckless poet soul..

It is this demographic that CM are selling cycling to, and every soul counts as I'm sure Satan would agree..
the seedy underbelly, that like it or not, is the true driving force behind youth culture and all of the idealistic spirit of rebellion that only innocence and hormones can support..

so it's a win/win situation as far as I can see.. the next generation falling into line like a Kasparov master stroke.. arm 'em and incite them to riot for maximum effect

Really? So some people on bikes is such a threat to national security that a disabled man should be be pushed off his tricycle and people with bikes should be tear gassed. It's just people on bikes, they were not armed, they did not throw anything, a bike is not a weapon. It's a disproportionate over reaction, which is a typical response to anything that does not suit. I am of the view this is not OK.

The response on this thread has taken me back, shocked. Skinny jeans and sunnies is not an excuse to attack people.

For me it's about dead friends, their widows and fatherless children. Bumping into their kids and having to be cool, easy going and jolly... Totally ignoring the dreadful truth. I want to pick her up and hug her, cry out loud and just collapse to my knees and just cry.

For a moment I was sure I saw rob this week, walking out of his front door. But he is dead, cut down by a young driver who had picked up points for speeding on the exact same bit of road a few months earlier, thrown up the road, snapping his neck and totally killing him.

A few hundred hours community service and a two year ban is the price the driver paid.

I am just a buddy, the bike shop dude, and not his father, mother, wife, son, daughter or brother. The effect on them is unmeasurable.

Cav, wiggo, sky undoubtedly good for cycling, but it's just business. Critical mass is not, it's just folk on bikes.

Wiggo has a new jersey and you can still have your body explode on a bumper and scattered down a road tomorrow morning.

[img] [/img]

+1 charlie.

And hello from the 2011 single speed chainless downhill champ.
I'm sorry for the loss of your mate.
Sometimes cyclists need to stick together.