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Indybay Feature

East Bay Bike Block / OTF

by Darin
Bike Block has dissolved since the winter protests. Accidents have occurred and now more than ever the need for Bike Block to restore activist safety is relevant.
Although I was working I have heard of the recent road rage incident from reliable witnesses. On July 16th the Occupy The Farm protesters who are fighting the UC Berkeley Administrative association with Monsanto and their efforts to destroy farmland in the area were attacked by an indecent individual in an automobile. This person ran over two protester's feet, messed up a subsequent bicycle, and hit or side swiped a few other individuals. Bike Block does not forgive, tolerate, or forget this, yet it would seem that local protesters might have forsaken bike block, how else would this have occurred (?) if Bike Block had been there on July 16th and prevalent, it would not have. Ultimately a determined driver is going to get their way no matter what, I however feel that Bike Block generally effectively prevents these kinds of incidents. Bike Block might not be able to prevent the 'Sprouts,' chain from opening however, just the same I believe its time to reevaluate the importance of safe public disobedience. For the sake of redundancy I will do just that.

1. Bikes to front and back in equal numbers.

2. One or a few individuals should 'round-robin,' go from front to back and vice versa, get a feel for the crowd, keep your eyes and ears open, relay vital tactical information to your peers, keep people informed.

3. Always safely block traffic to the best of your ability. The protesters are dependent on you for their safety.

4. Keep your eyes peel constantly.

5. Bike safely. Wear a helmet, have proper reflective gear and illumination, especially in Oakland.

6. Keep it moving.

7. Wait for consensus.

8. IF need be throw your bike in front of a violent driver and yell for caution, and support ASAP, make sure you are out of harm's way. Don't go one on one with a driver in a dangerous situation if you can avoid it.

6. Don't be a hero, try not to block with your body if the situation is dangerous, try to peacefully slow the vehicle and driver at least.

7. Don't be a coward, there will be false alarms, holler, "Sorry false alarm!" Things are not always as they appear.

8. Be audible.

9. Try to avoid conflict.

10. Learn peaceful non-violent traffic mediation. Look up the hand signals online. Its an art, and frankly maybe the only useful thing NYPD can do. Remember, you have the right to peacefully assemble.

11. Review the Cop Watch manual.

12. Your bike is more important than your camera, at least pretend like it is. [Your life is more important than...Life is more important than...]

13. Don't argue with idiots.

14. Bike ahead of the crowd to ensure safe blockage of intersections so that the marchers may embody pedestrian safety.

15. Life is more important than anything, your bike, your ego, your car, your camera, other property you might have, or your first amendment rights.

16. Drink water. Bring food, have a med-kit or know CPR.

17. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

18. Stop driving!

With some amending, these are more or less the standards decided by consensus at Occupy Oakland, some time ago. How could we forget this? Is this lazy or complacent protesting? How did our safety become a secondary methodology? With Oakland cops the cops are usually ahead and behind the protesters, so there is always some degree of redundancy with Bike Block there currently, and this is likely why it has seemed less vital. That's a real shitty excuse. Berkeley cops and UCB Berkeley cops, and Oakland cops, and S.F. cops, and S.J. cops and Albany cops, Alameda Sherriff, and CHP are all alike and all have independent policy towards policing to some degree. This shouldn't be the case with our protesting. Bike Block should bike block at all protests and we should continue to learn more about Bike Block by committing to Bike Block, this isn't Fight Club, we can talk about it.
I keep thinking about the video of the South American protest some time ago when the road raging man with his son in the passenger seat of the small two door economy car careened through a block of bicycles in a narrow barely two lane street in the suburban part of that Critical Mass's route, cars parked on both sides. Bikes flew in the air, there was so much screaming, they were sardined so they couldn't do anything to stop it. Hundreds were injured, at least several were critical and at least a few Critical Massers died. I don't recall how justice was won in that case, it was. Critical Mass had become so successful in that part of the world that they believed they could slack off on Bike Block, because they had the protesters in very massive numbers.
Lets not see this happen again.
POST THAT IDIOT'S LICESNSE PLATE NUMBER IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.
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