Violence and mass arrest at Critical Mass

Hundreds of cyclists were arrested on Friday night after trying to take part in a Critical Mass event. Critical Mass takes place every month and has been going for eighteen years however on this occasion police clamped down heavily to prevent the cyclists from taking the intended route and the evening ended in serious violence and mass arrest.

In the first few seconds of this video British Transport Police Officer 4125 is shown grappling with a man in a Shopmobility scooter, and then aiming something at him. (Probably CS spray.) The man shouts several times “I am disabled” but is ignored. A police medic can be seen trying to wrestle him away and prevent him from using it. Further in at 1:06 he can be seen and heard striking someone with a baton.

Trying to use spray

Baton strike – the rebound

The person who uploaded the video has written this account:

27th July 2012 19:30pm In the early stages of the Monthly Critical mass Bike ride a British Transport Police Officer PepperSprayed a Disabled Man in a shoprider who had been apparently hit by a car along with several others. During the melee as the officer is pulling out the pepper spray , A fellow Female police medic attempts to stop the action, but is struck back and the officer sprays the Disabled man and most of us in the crowd, not satisfied, he then whips out his telescopic truncheon and trys to apply a wrist lock / neck Lock on the Disabled man using the truncheon. Eventually a real Police officer arrives with 3 vans and about 50 Backups. The disabled man is arrested and the British Transport Cop is led away by some other officers. 27th July 2012.

From earlier in the evening:

FIT are filming #criticalmass from the top of waterloo bridge http://t.co/r7gmYgII

July 27, 2012 6:43 pm via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@IzzyKoksal

Izzy Koksal

FIT recording Critical Mass. Photo by @IzzyKoksal

Critical mass goers! Police are stopping all cyclists going north over the river @OccupyLondon

July 27, 2012 6:48 pm via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@hrsyofgrmnghst

Not Vicky Kapoor

RT @JasonNParkinson: Police have banned #CriticalMass from north of Thames, section 12 public order act. http://t.co/ORToJpyZ

July 27, 2012 6:57 pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@ThereziaCooper

Therezia Cooper

I love it how an 18 year old monthly bike ride has suddenly become an issue of national security #London #CriticalMass

July 27, 2012 6:58 pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@BrixtonHatter

brixton hatter

a couple of metres away from the Olympic ceremony – there are over 50 police vans and thousands of police kettling cyclists. #criticalmass

July 27, 2012 10:15 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@IzzyKoksal

Izzy Koksal

View from inside @MetPoliceEvents kettle of #criticalmass. Photo by @OurOlympics

#criticalmass arrest buses – Photo by @indyrikki

Seems like people being taken 2 Leyton in a prepped Olympic detention camp – only processed at stations first #openingceremony #criticalmass

July 28, 2012 1:07 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@aaronjohnpeters

Aaron Peters

Soldiers are assisting police taking people to holding centre #openingceremony #criticalmass

July 28, 2012 1:08 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@aaronjohnpeters

Aaron Peters

Regular London bus drivers being used to drive arrestees to Leyton, just chatted to one #criticalmass #openingceremony

July 28, 2012 1:27 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@aaronjohnpeters

Aaron Peters

Update

Here is the event shown in the video above from a different angle.

Bail conditions imposed on those arrested:

Been informed 20 #CriticalMass sat on concrete floor of Croydon police garage for 3hrs, arrested for 12 hrs, not been given legal access.

July 28, 2012 9:48 am via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@JasonNParkinson

Jason N. Parkinson

News Coverage

Russia Today: Mass arrests as London police attack ‘Critical Mass’ cycle ride during Olympic ceremony

BBC: Arrests made at mass bike ride on Olympic Ceremony night

ITV: Protesting cyclists ‘detained’ (Lots of pictures)

Guardian: Critical Mass cyclists arrested near Olympic Stadium

More Information

Critical Mass London

Wikipedia: Critical_Mass

Guardian: Critical Mass police ban blocked by law lords - 2008  article. Critical Mass ruled lawful and attempts by the police to ban it were overturned.

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