Critical Mass: reclaim the streets!

Glasgow Critical Mass, June 2010

Last Friday in Glasgow I attended the really fun and empowering event that is Critical Mass, a monthly celebration of cycling that takes place in cities across the world on the last Friday of every month.

The basic premise of CM is that dozens, hundreds , sometimes even thousands, of cyclists meet up and cycle through the centre of the city, to celebrate cycling as a mode of transport and raise awareness of the plight of marginalised urban cyclists. For one night, to reclaim the streets, and proclaim that cyclists aren’t blocking or getting in the way of traffic, because they ARE traffic, and deserve the respect and equal treatment given to any other motorist or pedestrians. It’s a movement that grew up alongside Reclaim the Streets in the early 1990s, with similar ideals – of rejecting the gentrification and increasing corporate ownership of public space, and the overarching dominance of car culture in capitalist society.

Cycling in an urban environment can be testing at the best of times, and outright dangerous at its worst. In Glasgow, this generally means navigating potholed streets and, where they exist, “cycle lanes” that’re barely two feet of coloured tarmac, usually doubling as parking space for any number of vehicles. It’s no surprise that the city was recently found to be among the worst for cycling in the UK. Glasgow City Council responded to this by listing lots of nice new projects, like the Chris Hoy Veledrome for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, all of which sadly had absolutely nothing to do with cycling as a mode of transport. So it’s hardly surprising that approx. 1% of all journeys in Glasgow are made by bike, somewhat below the Scottish Government’s target of 10%.

Batons are drawn at Edinburgh Critical Mass, 25.06.2010

Edinburgh, on the other hand, came out third in the poll, surely making it some kind of two-wheeled paradise where cyclists are welcomed and don’t have to come within inches of their own life everytime they step outside. Alas, no. Just last Friday, the Critical Mass ride in the city was attacked by the police, with six vehicles being summoned in a concerted effort to smash the critical mass, just months after it was revived following a lengthy absence.

After over an hour of cycling, the well-attended mass was suddenly confronted with a police van, that swung in front of the cyclists and forced them to stop, reports Indymedia Scotland. Attempting to single out a ‘leader’, a cyclist carrying a soundsystem was subsequently questioned. With the riders refusing to hand over information – having committed no crime – large scale back-up arrived, batons were drawn, and the soundsystem rider was violently arrested. The rider now faces four charges: cycling without due care and attention, obstruction of the highway with a bicycle and trailer, failure to provide details when required, and the resisting of arrest.

In Glasgow, we had around 50 bikes and only suffered minor harassment, with one police van trying to pull over the Mass; upon establishing that there wasn’t “any leaders” though, they left us alone. Harassment has been known in Glasgow in the past, however, with similar incidents as happened in Edinburgh last week occurring a couple of years ago.

What happened in Edinburgh was clearly the tactics of intimidation and an attempt to destroy the resurgent critical mass in the city, with completely token, trumped up charges being placed on one cyclist – for being the person who happened to be carrying a soundsystem. Cycling is not a crime – and police suppression should not be allowed to ruin what should be a fun celebration of cycling as a means of inner-city transport. Next month, people involved with the Edinburgh Critical Mass are calling for a huge turnout – as a symbol of defiance against the police, and as a show of solidarity with the cyclist facing these overblown and unjustified charges.

Glasgow CM meets on the last Friday of every month – 5.30 for 6 in George Square
Edinburgh CM meets at 5.30 at the foot of the Mound, Princes Street