Tuesday, July 29, 2008

CRITICAL TACKLE - cop assaults cyclist

COP ASSAULTS CYCLIST IN CRITICAL MASS BIKE RIDE, TIMES SQUARE, N.Y.C.
7.25.08
news reports part 1

news reports part 2

sadly vimeo has taken down our news comp.... ( and all the time i spend plugging for them) xris

CRITICAL TACKLE ( news reports ) from Xris Spider on Vimeo.
http://vimeo.com/1428260

----------------------corrections-------
Critical Mass is NOT a "protest".
Critical Mass is a BIKE RIDE.

Feel free to CRINGE when you hear this subtle, prejudicial, brainwashing, ultimately INCORRECT LABEL, used by Newscasters (more specifically, their writers ) to explain why cyclists would ever chose to ride in groups...
F.Y.I. : Critical Mass riders ride for personal / safety / illustrative / living art / fun / purposes-- there is no group political agenda.

Anytime you hear Critical Mass being labeled as a protest, the news outlets are being either lazy, and or manipulative... Many Americans consider the word "protesters" synonymous with "people who enjoy getting arrested as a hobby" or "people who should get a job"
which is ironic in a country founded on protest and direct action... (Boston tea party, Revolutionary war, Rosa Parks)

ANY PERSON who likes cycling, or wishes to try cycling home from work, one Friday a month, is welcome to come, join the fun, ride a bike around your city, in a welcoming safe atmosphere.

enjoy the otherwise TRUTHFUL elements being told, or at least SHOWN, by mainstream media outlets.


--------------------------SPIN FACTOR ------------------
for once the News Outlets don't beat impossible odds and actually get the story correct on the video:
- Basic News Position -
"looks hard for the police to explain, no matter how much we try to make it look 50 / 50 on who's in the wrong here"
----------------------------------------------------------------------

good work guys!
X.

==========NY POST ARTICLE.. ( w/ quote from Chris @ end )
source:
  • NY POST ARTICLE

  • OFFICER STRIPPED OF BADGE, GUN
    By MURRAY WEISS, KATI CORNELL and KYLE MURPHY

    Last updated: 1:03 am
    July 29, 2008
    Posted: 12:00 am
    A rookie cop - the son of a highly respected New York City detective - has been stripped of his badge and gun after being caught on video viciously attacking a bicyclist who was part of a Times Square demonstration. '

    The startling YouTube video shows Officer Patrick Pogan, 22, apparently setting his sights on - and then tackling - a bicyclist as he pedaled along Seventh Avenue as part of last Friday's controversial Critical Mass ride.

    Christopher Long, 29, was among a throng of riders as he whizzed toward the corner of West 46th Street at 9:30 p.m. and appeared to try and swerve away from the officer.

    But the video shows Pogan pick up his pace as he stares down Long before shoving the cyclist, slamming him to the pavement.

    To the dismay of stunned pedestrians, Long, who was not wearing a helmet, hurtles several feet through the air as he flips off the bicycle and lands on the curb.

    Pogan and a second officer then lunge toward the prone cyclist as the video fades to black. The footage, filmed by a tourist and posted anonymously on YouTube, sparked imme diate public outcry and prompted the NYPD to place Pogan on desk duty while the Internal Affairs Bureau investigates.

    The NYPD declined to comment further.

    What the video doesn't show is Pogan arresting Long for attempted assault in the third degree, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct - charges that kept the Bloomfield, NJ, man behind bars for 26 hours before his release late Saturday.

    Adding insult to injury, the criminal complaint drafted by Pogan bears little resemblance to what was witnessed by onlookers and recorded on video.

    In court papers, Pogan accused Long of purposely swerving his bicycle to block traffic and then using it as a weapon to run down the officer, knocking him off his feet and causing a "laceration" on his forearm. "You are pawns in the game. I'm going to have your job," Long told Pogan, as he flailed and kicked his arms and legs, according to the complaint.

    Pogan has been on the force for just three weeks since graduating from the Police Academy on July 2 and is assigned to Midtown South.

    A third-generation cop, Pogan lives at home with his father - Patrick Pogan Sr., a highly respected detective and biochemical and mass-destruction expert who is retired from the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

    "He's my son. I'm proud of him. He's third-generation that's been serving the city," said Pogan Sr., who was at home in Massapequa Park, LI, today and said he had not seen the video. "These people are taking over the streets and impeding the flow of traffic. Then you gotta do what you gotta do," said Pogan, 51.

    Long declined comment through his lawyer.

    "If it wasn't caught on video people would not have believed it," said Christopher Ryan, who rides with Critical Mass and is filming the monthly protests for a documentary. "The video just shows what the cyclists have been saying all along, that the police are still harassing and intimidating them from doing group rides," said Ryan. "An officer assaulted a cyclist for no reason. It's just crazy."

    Times-Up! on "YES Network" ( NY Yankees channel ) from Xris Spider on Vimeo.

    ========================================================
    ======Recent T.S. VIDEOS================
    http://vimeo.com/1270566 ( UK / Europe tour )
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1boNfItEcH0 ( 5 boro bike tour VIDEO )
    http://vimeo.com/1296104 ( Green / activism VIDEO from last week)
    ========================================================

    Labels:

    Monday, July 07, 2008

    BIKE NOISE! live on tompkins



    Last Saturday was an amazing time, featuring the FIRST ( annual?) "BIKE NOISE!" concert, on tompkins square park!

    Lots of fun things went down, dodging raindrops, calling city council woman Quinn from the stage,
    getting dumped on by downpours, the usual equipment magilla / hijinx, bikes, punks,
    bike punks, Times-up!, the Shadow, Sliding Scale Productions, The Orphans, Team Spider, Turbo AC's, Wombat in Combat, 241'ers, and lots of other friends...

    good rockin'











    see more photos / other groups @ Sliding Scale Productions


    COMING SOON!
    M-O-R-E Tompkins Square PUNK madness...
    SUNDAY JULY 27th 2008 ---- OLD SCHOOL PUNK on the PARK
    SATURDAY A-N-D! SUNDAY AUGUST 2nd, and 3rd 2008--- 20th (!) Anniversary Tompkins Square Riot! SHOW

    all three dates: 2-6pm...
    also, movie at night... warm up parties.. more!
    MORE INFO, (and photos of other BIKE NOISE! bands at
  • Sliding Scale Productions

  • photos: Heather J, video by Xris (to come)

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    Tuesday, July 01, 2008

    WE OWN THE STREETS - video/brazil



    So, we shot most of the footage for our "WE OWN THE STREETS" music video while riding on this past weekend's NYC critical mass, to be combined with live footage shot at the TOmpkins Square Park BIKE NOISE! concert the next day...
    a busy weekend indeed,,,

    but not too busy to reply to this coincidentally relevant email request from BRAZIL...


    On Jun 30, 2008, at 9:28 AM, Sandinista . wrote:

    Hi,

    I'm a participant of the Sao Paulo Critical Mass in Brazil and I'm
    also a fan of punk rock music. I've found a video of your at
    http://bikeblog.blogspot.com/ and Ioved it!
    I'd like to write to our discussion list talking about you (we have
    some other punk rock lovers in the group!) and I want to also include
    the lyrics to "We own the Streets" translated into portuguese. But
    although I'm used to do that, in this case it's been a little hard for
    me to understand most of it. Who's the writer of this song? I noticed
    it's not in any of your CDs, so I guess it's a cover, right?


    ====XRIS/TS===========
    cool, no i wrote it, ( with teamies contributing solos etc later)
    after being locked up / arrested for riding Critical Mass nYC , in August 2004
    then i added to it 2 years later, when having to attend "public" hearings in the police station (!) as the police introduced laws, falling directly in opposition w/ the US constitution's Right of Assembly, ( 7 people gathering on bikes, or 30 people gathering in a park would be an arrest able offense),
    on a day i found particularly relevant, as the family of the recently murdered Sean Bell, was across the street from One Police Plaza, in city hall park, holding a rally ( which would be illegal / an arrestable offense under these new proposed rules ) ...
    and the African American community had no idea these rights, arguably even more crucial to their lives, were being brushed away right across the street, and the only people who knew it was underway were the cyclists... **( since then the two groups have come together... see MASS WITH THE REVEREND video , also at teamspider.blogspot.com)

    We Own the Streets is on our "FUCK BRAKES " album,
    its up at itunes, can get the CD at interpunk.com
    we actually shot a music video for 'We Own the Streets' at last weeks critical mass in NYC , gonna be great

    would love to see the lyrics translated, we are trying to come and play south america this winter,, january maybe? maybe you know bookers / venues.,..

    =============Sandinista . wrote:

    Well, I also plan to donate to get the Tee+CD, but is the shipment to
    Brazil included on that ($25+)? I'm waiting for the answers from the
    others, so that you can ship several items at once and I think the
    total cost will be less.

    =============Xris====
    sound great, i think to brazil / europe etc. people usually include a couple extra dollars for the additional postage... ( 4 or 5 dollars i think does it)

    =============Sandinista . wrote:

    Best regards!
    Igor Garcia

    =============Xris====
    ---thanks for writing , will mention brazil, your letter in our blog!
    xris

    //////////////////////////////////

    LYRICS YOU WANTED:

    =======We own the streets=======Xris/TS
    I may never get
    What we’re taught to expect
    What you call privilege
    I call respect
    Counting me and my friends
    Black sheep until the end
    The rights you take we don’t fuckin’ lend
    To One P.P., ( one police plaza) they summon me
    Pant legs stained with grease
    Deli bag on my seat, as the cops ride shotgun next to me
    Meanwhile across the street, Sean Bell’s grieving widow bride
    Gathers with some friends to cry
    Unaware these rights are saying goobye
    --We’ve got to take a stand
    --NO FUCKING PERMITS
    --remove your fucking hands
    --WE’RE CALLING BULLSHIT !
    Right of Assembly, robbed right from under both you and me
    My wounded heart grows cold, so fucking cold
    It’s power unchecked on America’s favorite set… but
    We’re LARGE, Never IN CHARGE, WE OWN THE STREETS
    Manifest at my feet…

    City council usurped, as they thank the cops for invading their turf..
    Feel a dark buzz as I enter their hive, photographed and scanned
    Anonymity dies, 50 cops against a back wall grin,
    50 shots they’d Like to see me have within..
    ‘Till they hear the words from one of their own,
    See the weakness in their Imagined throne,
    only thing that’s worse than a sucker unchecked
    is a sucker who knows
    He’s got nothing left….
    'cause
    We’re LARGE, Never IN ChARGE, WE OWN THE STREETS
    Manifest at my feet…

    The uncaged heart so easily offended, sit close to the pole, never feel your chain end yet,
    They drink freely on the rights you expect, till the drunk mutha fucka’s wrap a noose
    Around your neck…

    Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…
    Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…
    Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…
    Power unchecked is in effect, its 50 shots from a drunk ass cop…

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