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Critical Mass Hits Modesto
Entended for publishing on the main/center Central Valley IMC wire.
Critical Mass, a grassroots, totally decentralized, autonomous movement of bike activists and riders has been riding every month since it's first San Fransico bike ride in 1992.
Modesto seems ripe for a total critque of the oil and car industries as a whole, (and capitalism in general), as it's urban sprawl machine heats up. As Bay Area folks are pushed out of the bay area because of rising rent, they are moving into towns and cities generally associated with agriculture. As Starbucks, Borders, and McDonalds pop up every where, farmland is disappearing and open green space is swallowed up to make way for trach homes.
Modesto, which has in essence only two major roads that lead to the 99 Freeway (Briggsmoore and Standiford), can not realistically accomidate the majority of people commuting to work, and to various destinations around town. Thus, traffic and congestion is at an all time high, and seems to be getting worse and worse. Modesto's homeless are also felling the heat, as their needs (emergency shelter, low income housing), are swept under the rug, and the city spends 9 million on a new over pass with old fashioned light posts, and a new fountains that spills over and wastes water. Larger corporations are coming in, and driving out or replacing the independent and largely more community oriented stores in the downtown area, (although some near by towns are resisting Wal Marts etc, for instance Turlock).
Critical Mass is an alternative to this, although it may only be symbolic and celebratory. The Situationists said, "Beneath this concrete - a beach!", we ask, "We you join us in a swim?" Swim we did. Through flyers, wheatpaste, and talking to friends, Critical Mass Modesto organized it's first ride in Downtown Modesto with about 30 people, and a handful of skateboarders.
The ride was a success, and lasted for about an hour, and ended in a small gathering in a local park with Food Not Bombs sharing food. The only problems that occured was the falls of several skateboarders, and a poor merging causing a trucker to spit on one of us. Several younger children attended, and we has some particpants from out of town. One rider carried a sign saying, "Let's End Our Fuelish Ways", another carried a black flag with the anarchist (A).
The corporate media has shown some interest in this, but more of the novelty aspect than an actual interest in the ethics, ideas, and critques that Critical Mass, it's partipants, and supporters try and bring up.
We are hoping that the next Critical Mass in Modesto will be event better. It will take place on March 26th, Downtown Modesto 10th and J Street, 5pm.
Email: modanarcho [at] yahoo.com
Corporate Media Coverage: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/8203906p-9054034c.html
Valley IMC Pictures: http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/02/1671619.php
Modesto seems ripe for a total critque of the oil and car industries as a whole, (and capitalism in general), as it's urban sprawl machine heats up. As Bay Area folks are pushed out of the bay area because of rising rent, they are moving into towns and cities generally associated with agriculture. As Starbucks, Borders, and McDonalds pop up every where, farmland is disappearing and open green space is swallowed up to make way for trach homes.
Modesto, which has in essence only two major roads that lead to the 99 Freeway (Briggsmoore and Standiford), can not realistically accomidate the majority of people commuting to work, and to various destinations around town. Thus, traffic and congestion is at an all time high, and seems to be getting worse and worse. Modesto's homeless are also felling the heat, as their needs (emergency shelter, low income housing), are swept under the rug, and the city spends 9 million on a new over pass with old fashioned light posts, and a new fountains that spills over and wastes water. Larger corporations are coming in, and driving out or replacing the independent and largely more community oriented stores in the downtown area, (although some near by towns are resisting Wal Marts etc, for instance Turlock).
Critical Mass is an alternative to this, although it may only be symbolic and celebratory. The Situationists said, "Beneath this concrete - a beach!", we ask, "We you join us in a swim?" Swim we did. Through flyers, wheatpaste, and talking to friends, Critical Mass Modesto organized it's first ride in Downtown Modesto with about 30 people, and a handful of skateboarders.
The ride was a success, and lasted for about an hour, and ended in a small gathering in a local park with Food Not Bombs sharing food. The only problems that occured was the falls of several skateboarders, and a poor merging causing a trucker to spit on one of us. Several younger children attended, and we has some particpants from out of town. One rider carried a sign saying, "Let's End Our Fuelish Ways", another carried a black flag with the anarchist (A).
The corporate media has shown some interest in this, but more of the novelty aspect than an actual interest in the ethics, ideas, and critques that Critical Mass, it's partipants, and supporters try and bring up.
We are hoping that the next Critical Mass in Modesto will be event better. It will take place on March 26th, Downtown Modesto 10th and J Street, 5pm.
Email: modanarcho [at] yahoo.com
Corporate Media Coverage: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/8203906p-9054034c.html
Valley IMC Pictures: http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/02/1671619.php
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i counted exactly 21 ciritical massers on friday. the guy was never spat on, just spat at!
i am sorry for spitting at you guys last month. i was just frustrated because i could not find my way back to the freeway. next month i will be passing my way thru modesto again and to make it up to you i could hitch up the old flat bed trailor. and you guys can sit on the back if you want and hold up your signs. i think we can cover more ground on the truck, then on your bikes. also we can hook up some lights or make some signs that light up, so we could ride on thru the night. i have alot of great ideas to make a protest look professional. because we need to make an impact, we need to do something...
Exhaggeration by the DAAA is nothing new. Twenty show up and it's in the thirty to fifty range. Spit at someone and it's they were spat upon, etc., etc. and etc. They always seem to know what everyone else does wrong but they won't tell you what they did wrong. Their excuse will always be that as Anarchists they have to make their point and they can't do that through legitimate means. Apparently the vehicle code laws only apply to vehicles, especially hwen your protesting. The Anarchists only want the world to live as they live, I thought it was big enough for everyone. Let each person individually choose how they want to live and keep your opinions to yourself.
"Twenty show up and it's in the thirty to fifty range."
Our report says about 30, newspaper counts the same. Other collective member says around 20, don't we how we're trying to find the pie in the sky here.
"Spit at someone and it's they were spat upon, etc., etc. and etc." -
Someone got spat on, and I don't think that the report made a big deal out of it. You on the other hand...
"They always seem to know what everyone else does wrong but they won't tell you what they did wrong. Their excuse will always be that as Anarchists they have to make their point and they can't do that through legitimate means." -
Sounds like you have alot of hostility towards a group of people yet aren't giving any sort of examples. Hmm....
"Apparently the vehicle code laws only apply to vehicles, especially hwen your protesting. The Anarchists only want the world to live as they live, I thought it was big enough for everyone. Let each person individually choose how they want to live and keep your opinions to yourself." -
Bikes have a right to ride in the road, just as long as they stay safe and obey the traffic laws. We to want a world where "each person individually chooses how they want to live", however how is this possible when things like the state and capitalism exist? These are coersive institutions by design. Like them is you want, but some of us would like to impliment alternatives.
Our report says about 30, newspaper counts the same. Other collective member says around 20, don't we how we're trying to find the pie in the sky here.
"Spit at someone and it's they were spat upon, etc., etc. and etc." -
Someone got spat on, and I don't think that the report made a big deal out of it. You on the other hand...
"They always seem to know what everyone else does wrong but they won't tell you what they did wrong. Their excuse will always be that as Anarchists they have to make their point and they can't do that through legitimate means." -
Sounds like you have alot of hostility towards a group of people yet aren't giving any sort of examples. Hmm....
"Apparently the vehicle code laws only apply to vehicles, especially hwen your protesting. The Anarchists only want the world to live as they live, I thought it was big enough for everyone. Let each person individually choose how they want to live and keep your opinions to yourself." -
Bikes have a right to ride in the road, just as long as they stay safe and obey the traffic laws. We to want a world where "each person individually chooses how they want to live", however how is this possible when things like the state and capitalism exist? These are coersive institutions by design. Like them is you want, but some of us would like to impliment alternatives.
For more information:
http://www.modanarcho.tk
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