Yesterday was my first Critical Mass of 2005. I would like to present a collection of my photographic observances of this occasion:
This bike will be familair to anybody who has been on a London Critical Mass or run the Dunwich Dynamo.
Unsurprisingly for an election month, the political messagae in Critical Mass was in greater evidence. I think it’s great that people are taking politics back to the streets, however I do feel that incorporating overtly anarchist/marxist themes into the event only makes the primary message less effective.
For me, Critical Mass has allways been a protest about the de-humanisation of our city streets. This is demonstrated by the fact that the city is totally unprepared for a moderately large group of cyclists on the road; in numbers that would hardly seem extrordinary in Bejing or Copenhagen.
Regardless of your political allignment, I think we can all agree that the lifestyle of the average british commuter is one of hellish public-transport or stagnant roads. There has to be an alternative to spending over an hour a day in a state of misery.
One Less Car…
The title of the event has a dual meaning: Not only a mass of people who are critical of the urban environment we live in, but the act of assemling enough people to briefly control the road and show how London might be with a more human-centric transport policy.
And why shouldnt police officers enjoy a lovely bike-ride as well? As usual, the standard of policing at Critical Mass was pretty good.
The pre-mass gathering at London’s South-Bank just outside the National Film Theatre.
A not entirely unexpected pause outside Downing Street.
The Soap Box is a mobile PA and entertainment system.
Looks friendly enough, but in a moment this long-boarder manages to accidentally knock the police sargent off his bike. Anger ensues.
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