May Day Ride 2007
Thread started by
trickmilla at 03.19.07 - 6:49 pm
Anybody march on May Day last year?
I understand this year is going to be even bigger/ better.
http://www.mayday2007.org/
Anybody down to do a ride. It will be on a Tuesday May 1, 2007 during the day. I am not sure, but since things havn't really gotten better in the last year, I imagine that the workers will again be calling for a mass strike.
It would be amazing if we could bring out a bunch of different ridazz from hipsters, to spandexies, to immigrantes, to messengers an anbody else who is down for bikes/ justice for immigrants.
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Last year was amazing. The purposed legislation, with the help of the major spanish speaking media, made last year, what it was. I don't have a crystal ball, but I doubt without the pressing legislation againist immigrants or againist those that are percived to be immigrants without proper visa's, I doubt we will have what we had last year. I do hope I'm wrong on this one.
I'm out every year, and will be out on the streets on every May 1st til' I pass this earth. After all, it is the USA workers holiday of which I'am both, and adopted by workers worldwide. So, yes count me in, with bike, (as I can't stand walking long distances) with or without Ridazz, with the workers who celebrate our day. Although, with a group of riders on bikes will make it that much better. Yes you are right, "it would be amazing."
If there is one day you take off work, make it May 1st. Do that out of self-respect for who you are and what you are part of, as a worker. Remeber the whole world celebrates May Day, as workers day, the US gov't create Labor Day to discount the importants of May Day, the most serious holiday of the year for workers. What does Labor Day mean anyways, last day of summer, three day weekend, and some back to school sales i.e.
the weather is going to get cold, you may get an extra day off not to think about how this capitalist system is screwing you, and go buy some more stuff to to make you feel the above mention system is not that bad.
If folks want, we can bring the SpokeN'Dissent sound system PA and exercise free speech, or not bring it. It will be glorious as every May Day is, whether we have 2000 (as years past) or two million people. Come out "Workers of the World" and unite for your/our common interest. Come on, Come on, Come on lets Ride this May Day!
sexy03.19.07 - 10:26 pm
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That's totally cool. I will definately celebrate international workers day with you all.
But just for giggles, could we get a pagan pole with ribbons and have the virgins dance around it?... ah shucks, yer no fun..
Joe Borfo03.20.07 - 12:20 am
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sure, w'll do it in the middle of the venice traffic circle or something, with bikes, and err umm all crash and die.
FuzzBeast03.20.07 - 3:55 am
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I made an overature to the "official" may day people.
Let's see if they respond. I'll keep you all posted.
trickmilla03.20.07 - 10:35 am
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I just sent the following message to the National May Day list serve:
In Los Angeles we are mobilizing a bicycle ride to coincide with any May Day events that will be planned in L.A.
The hope is that the bike ride can bring together many facets of Los Angeles' bike culture including: bike messengers, oil boycotters, immigrant commuters, weekend warriors, street kids, etc, etc. We want to bring many different people together all in the name of immigrant rights and solidarity .
If anyone is planning events in L.A. please let us know, we'd love to coordinate with you.
Thanks,
May Day Ridazz
...................
I'll keep you all posted if we get any resoponse.
trickmilla04.1.07 - 11:16 pm
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420----look here
sexy04.27.07 - 12:05 pm
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I'll be there...late as usual ;-)...........
420LaHaRR04.30.07 - 1:27 pm
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I take it, we are meeting at the start point. Mind you, it is hard to manuever a bicycle around so many people. Last year, I went on my 12" wheel folding bicycle, which was easy to ride in a big crowd. Most people will be riding a regular size bike.
So are we going to walk our bikes with the crowd?
I don't know how well this will work. Should we do something on the outside of the march? I will most likely be with my father on our tandem. Even walking the tandem through the crowd with Uncle Nick will be difficult.
Are we going to meet at Olympic and Broadway with all the other (hopefully) thousand of other peoples?
sexy04.30.07 - 2:40 pm
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Just for what it's worth...I went to both of the anti-anti-immigration marches last year, and while I was glad I went, frankly I was even gladder that I didn't bring my bike. The place to be was in the thick of the crowd. Emphasis on "thick." Trying to ride or walk a bike would have been disastrous in that sea of humanity, especially with all the little kids running around.
PC04.30.07 - 3:25 pm
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I'm just riding my bike to park it down there. Does that make sense. I plan to march, not ride. Are we meeting?...
Joe Borfo05.1.07 - 10:25 am
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hey borfo, give me a call. i'm going to head over there on the train in about 10 minutes. i should be at 7th and metro around 11:45 if you want to meet me there.
brassknuckle05.1.07 - 10:49 am
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sexy, do you want to make a ride out of this.. is there something planned? call me
Joe Borfo05.1.07 - 10:55 am
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I'll be out there riding.
323) 793-5668
if any of you want to call or text
does 4 ridazz constitute a bike block?
trickmilla05.1.07 - 11:01 am
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Well, this was an interesting day. The riding and socializing parts were fun The getting shoved around by cops and watching cops beat people up and shoot them with rubber bullets part, not so much.
PC05.2.07 - 1:50 am
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Yeah...it's an interesting thing about that. Chicken Leather was in the park, so his perspective was more like those of the many people in the park that afternoon: like, "I was hanging around listening to music when all of a sudden these crazy cops come in firing projectiles at everyone and kicking us out."
The thing is, the fucked up stuff started happening from the moment the main march arrived at the park. The police started provoking people immediately out in the streets, on Wilshire and on Alvarado, and this went on for like an hour while people in the park were oblivious to it because of the loud music and festive atmosphere inside. The LAPD wanted a fight, bad. I was riding near the front of the march as it went along Wilshire, and
immediately a skirmish line of cops appeared at Park View, with their batons out and their combative attitudes blazing, and blocked the marchers. I dismounted and started walking to the right, to go into the park (which is where they seemed to want people to go), when one of them decided I wasn't walking fast enough and shoved me hard,
from behind, with his baton. The riding-motorcycles-into-the-crowd thing happened right after this. Just a few minutes after that, I saw the first media cameraman roughed up. Remember, this is within minutes of the march arriving.
They did this kind of shit all up and down both streets until they got the confrontation they so obviously wanted. They pushed and pushed and pushed until finally some of the younger guys in the crowd started really fighting back, and then they used this as an excuse to clear the park (!) with their rubber bullets.
I saw some of the bloody wounds on people who got hit with those things. They are no joke.
The most truly fucking nauseating thing about it is that the cops had been telling people all along to get out of the street and off the sidewalk (!) and go into the park. So the people who ended up the most shocked and surprised and scared when the police invaded and cleared the park were the people who did what they were told.
PC05.2.07 - 4:18 am
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Damn! DJ Chicken Leather got hit by the cops? I hope he was able to get his equipment back. I just got out of there before the shit went down. I saw a truckload of cops in riot gear approaching as I left. They were looking ready to crack skulls. They didn't seem to take well to my gestures and bandanna wearing attire either.
I took some lousy pics of:
May Day Ride 2007
Joe Borfo05.2.07 - 11:31 am
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Ridazz Roulette!
I'm in.
hell yeah! Ride On!