Det danske Fredsakademi

Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 28. August 2004 / Timeline August 28, 2004

27. August 2004, 29. August 2004

08/28/2004
NYC Police Arrest 250 in Bicycle Protest
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
In the first major clash between police and demonstrators converging for the Republican National Convention, more than 250 bicyclists were arrested during a protest ride that snaked through the city and passed by Madison Square Garden.
Bikers chanted anti-Bush slogans, stifled traffic and, in some places, argued with motorists during the Friday night ride, which began at Union Square and drew thousands of cyclists.
Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said the bikers had caused "massive disruptions'' and endangered motorists. Participants said their ride was peaceful and that the arrests were an excessive show of force.
Police had passed out leaflets to the riders warning them not to ride more than two abreast, and many of them ignored that warning, Browne said. Among the protesters arrested was one who allegedly threw a beer can at an officer, he said. The officer was uninjured.
"We gave them every opportunity to comply with the law,'' Browne said. "Those who didn't were arrested.''
A total of 264 people were arrested as of early Saturday, according to Sgt. Michael Wysokowski, a police department spokesman.
The protest began as a monthly Critical Mass bike ride, but what was usually a crowd of hundreds swelled to thousands, with organizers saying the excursion drew a horde of bikers who wanted to protest the convention.
Bill Dobbs, of the antiwar group United for Peace and Justice, said the monthly Critical Mass ride "has provided joy to bicyclists and bystanders for years now.''
"The arrests are completely unnecessary,'' Dobbs said. ``Police needlessly escalated tension. Let us hope that they are more restrained as we go into the convention period.''

08/28/2004
How far to the right have we gone?
http://www.historiansagainstwar.org/rnc.html
2 - 4 pm CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave. and 34th St., New York
A Town Hall Meeting organized by Historians Against the War
Featuring Andrew Bacevich, Thomas Bender, Renate Bridenthal, and Ellen Schrecker.

08/28/2004

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