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Mayday2k - Critical Mass Central London, Friday 28 April The weather was hideous, the rain unrelenting, but that didn't stop over 400 campaigners turning up for a Critical Mass cycle ride round London as part of the London-based four-day festival of anti-capitalist events.. Kicking off from its regular location under Waterloo Bridge at 6pm, there was was a much higher police presence than usual, with around a dozen police motorcyclists and a load of journalists in tow. This event has a long tradition of being entirely peaceful, so I guess the tabloid contingent would soon be disappointed with the lack of 'sexy' violence to report. The cyclists rode down the Strand, circled Trafalgar Square a couple of times, before heading off for the more touristy areas of Soho and Chinatown. When the procession reached Goodge St, vanloads of Metropolitan Police officers on foot arrived and started to forcibly shift cyclists away from the junctions where some stroppy car drivers were trying to force their way through groups of stationery cyclists - a risky procedure that invited injury. The convoy moved on Marylebone Road past Madam Tussauds and Baker Street tube and then Marble Arch and Park Lane, leaving an increasingly car-congested road behind. Slowly the numbers dwindled as time and the rain exacted its toll. Despite some of the more extreme media predictions, this Critical Mass turned out to be much like the rest: peaceful, fun and making a vital point about transport policy in London and the effects of increased car usage in cities. Find out more about Critical Mass here. Disclaimer: this information is reproduced for information purposes only. Urban75 has no connection whatsoever with any of the groups |
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