Important Day to Support Arrested Cyclists and Free Speech

From: Jym Dyer jym (a) econet dot org

[The following is an adapted/updated version of a letter from
Jamie Rollins of the Freewheels Bicycle Defense Fund. The
issues involved go well beyond bicycle defense, though.]

As many of you know, the New York City police have been
continually harassing the monthly Critical Mass bike riders
ever since the 2004 Republican National Convention. In that
time, over 300 bicyclists have been arrested.

In the last couple of months, the trials for those who have
chosen to fight the charges have finally been going to court.

On January 10th, the decision was passed down in the case of
those who were arrested on January 28, 2005, which includes
8 cyclists. The results were very encouraging. Judge Gerald
Harris ruled that the "parading without a permit" law is
unconstitutional, and the parading charges were thrown out.

The importance of this ruling can not be understated. The
police have long used the anti-parading law to arrest and
prosecute protesters across the country. If Judge Harris's
ruling is upheld, it would deny the police and those who seek
to suppress free speech a means of achieving their ends.

However, the fight is not over. Predictably, the city has
decided to appeal the judge's ruling. And if we don't now fight
the appeal, the ruling will automatically be overturned, and all
of our efforts will have been for naught.

The February arrestees have joined forces with this January
group, but in order to fight the appeal, we desperately need
more funds. To those of you who have donated to our cause in
the past, we are deeply grateful. But we still need help.

***Fighting the appeal will cost $10000, and we need to raise
this money by February 8th, which is fast approaching.***

For this reason, our solicitation is very urgent. Any help you
can provide is very much appreciated. The best way to donate
to this is through the Freewheels Bicycle Defense Fund, an
organization expressly committed to helping those who have been
arrested riding their bikes:

http://bicycledefensefund.org/donate.html

Apart from monetary donations for the appeal, we are also
looking for letters of support for our sentencing on February
14. These should be pleas for leniency, pointing out the good
character of those arrested, the lack of danger they pose to the
city, the fact that they are actually First Amendment heroes,
etc. These should be addressed to City Criminal Court Judge
Gerald Harris, and sent to our esteemed lawyer Gideon Oliver at
the following address:

Gideon Orion Oliver, Esq.
Oliver & Oliver
Attorneys at Law
200 East 10th Street #917
New York, New York 10003-7702

Lastly, *please forward* this solicitation to anyone you know
or think takes an interest in free speech, transportation and
environmental issues, and/or rights of the citizen. We need as
much help as we can get. Thank you very much for your support.

You can learn more about our concerns, and become involved, at
Freewheels:

http://bicycledefensefund.org/

Other Links
~~~~~~~~~~~
Village Voice article:
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/po...ves/002313.php

World Carfree Network:
http://www.worldcarfree.net/nyc/index.php

TIME'S UP! is fighting a longer-term lawsuit:
http://www.times-up.org/legal_newswire.php

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I understand correctly, "free speech" to
Critical Mass means blocking roads by occupying the entire roadway and then
riding very slowly. If that is correct, Critical Mass does not have my
sympathy.


wrote in message
oups.com...
From: Jym Dyer jym (a) econet dot org

[The following is an adapted/updated version of a letter from
Jamie Rollins of the Freewheels Bicycle Defense Fund. The
issues involved go well beyond bicycle defense, though.]

As many of you know, the New York City police have been
continually harassing the monthly Critical Mass bike riders
ever since the 2004 Republican National Convention. In that
time, over 300 bicyclists have been arrested.

In the last couple of months, the trials for those who have
chosen to fight the charges have finally been going to court.

On January 10th, the decision was passed down in the case of
those who were arrested on January 28, 2005, which includes
8 cyclists. The results were very encouraging. Judge Gerald
Harris ruled that the "parading without a permit" law is
unconstitutional, and the parading charges were thrown out.

The importance of this ruling can not be understated. The
police have long used the anti-parading law to arrest and
prosecute protesters across the country. If Judge Harris's
ruling is upheld, it would deny the police and those who seek
to suppress free speech a means of achieving their ends.

However, the fight is not over. Predictably, the city has
decided to appeal the judge's ruling. And if we don't now fight
the appeal, the ruling will automatically be overturned, and all
of our efforts will have been for naught.

The February arrestees have joined forces with this January
group, but in order to fight the appeal, we desperately need
more funds. To those of you who have donated to our cause in
the past, we are deeply grateful. But we still need help.

***Fighting the appeal will cost $10000, and we need to raise
this money by February 8th, which is fast approaching.***

For this reason, our solicitation is very urgent. Any help you
can provide is very much appreciated. The best way to donate
to this is through the Freewheels Bicycle Defense Fund, an
organization expressly committed to helping those who have been
arrested riding their bikes:

http://bicycledefensefund.org/donate.html

Apart from monetary donations for the appeal, we are also
looking for letters of support for our sentencing on February
14. These should be pleas for leniency, pointing out the good
character of those arrested, the lack of danger they pose to the
city, the fact that they are actually First Amendment heroes,
etc. These should be addressed to City Criminal Court Judge
Gerald Harris, and sent to our esteemed lawyer Gideon Oliver at
the following address:

Gideon Orion Oliver, Esq.
Oliver & Oliver
Attorneys at Law
200 East 10th Street #917
New York, New York 10003-7702

Lastly, *please forward* this solicitation to anyone you know
or think takes an interest in free speech, transportation and
environmental issues, and/or rights of the citizen. We need as
much help as we can get. Thank you very much for your support.

You can learn more about our concerns, and become involved, at
Freewheels:

http://bicycledefensefund.org/

Other Links
~~~~~~~~~~~
Village Voice article:
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/po...ves/002313.php

World Carfree Network:
http://www.worldcarfree.net/nyc/index.php

TIME'S UP! is fighting a longer-term lawsuit:
http://www.times-up.org/legal_newswire.php

On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 04:03:41 GMT, "Ron Wallenfang"
wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I understand correctly, "free speech" to
Critical Mass means blocking roads by occupying the entire roadway and then
riding very slowly. If that is correct, Critical Mass does not have my
sympathy.

God Ron,

You are such a fuddy duddy!

It's called nonviolent dissent!

Your Friend,

Weezel

On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 04:03:41 +0000, Ron Wallenfang wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I understand correctly, "free speech" to
Critical Mass means blocking roads by occupying the entire roadway and
then riding very slowly. If that is correct, Critical Mass does not have
my sympathy.

CM is the equivalent of a junior high school cafeteria food fight. The
participants may enjoy it, but the results are predictably the same.

I can see the principal now:

"Young man, if you don't shape up, you'll be working at Starbucks when
you're 40!"

Matt O.

Using the entire roadway: Only if you have enough riders to require it
Riding very slowly: Not as slowly as possible. Not racing. Usually
about 10-12 mph but trying not to lose the slow riders.

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I understand correctly, "free speech" to
Critical Mass means blocking roads by occupying the entire roadway and then
riding very slowly. If that is correct, Critical Mass does not have my
sympathy.