Critical Mass Arrests in Buffalo
Once a local Critical Mass group reaches, well, critical mass, there are almost sure to be arrests. The police just don’t know who or what they’re dealing with, feel like they’ve lost control, and things go downhill from there.
This just occurred in Buffalo. Unsurprisingly, the first person arrested was the only African-American participant in the ride, a local college professor. These photos show a fairly brutal treatment of people who were just riding their bikes down the street. The only state law they appear to have violated requires bicyclists to ride two abreast, but this can’t possibly be grounds for mass arrest. Check out all the photos, and judge for yourself.
Eventually, I’m sure things will work themselves out, but only after a fair number of unnecessary casualties. The police in every city that I’m aware of finally realize that there’s little benefit from Mass Arrests, and they end up just looking silly and costing people money.