Critical Mass London: last friday of the month South Bank by National Theatre, 6.30pm

are freewheels welcome?
are you meeting at southbank as well?
i look forward to join the ride
cheers

Just seen this post from a pretty reliable source on facebook:
Metropolitan Police have served a Section 12 order on Critical Mass, outlawing the crossing of the river to the North.

Anyone got an update of where they are?

i am north already

disruption to the life of the community? the olympics?

I imagine they mean "everyone not involved in CM" by community.

I just asked police man what was going on.

He said, I dunno mate, then said it was a demonstration against bicycles!

Are you being stopped from leaving the south bank individually?

If you happened to meet up with people at an agreed location, what would happen?

Hang on - CM is not a protest or procession, is it? Ths High Court has stated as much.

Good luck trying to explain that to plod though.

But seriously - What did y'all expect.

Indeed, not a procession: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldjudgmt/jd081126/metro-1.htm

Hang on - CM is not a protest or procession, is it? Ths High Court has stated as much.

I thought it had been considered exempt from the provisions of the Public Order Act that the police tried to use against it because it was 'customarily held'.

And it was the Lords.

Full text of the judgement here (spread over four web pages):

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldjudgmt/jd081126/metro-1.htm

Slight variations in opinion, but a by and large unanimous judgement.

Like Skully, I think the implications are very positive.

This is from the original thread discussing the judgement.

I suspect the Police will be happy to argue that afterwards- right now all they want is to prevent CM crossing the river.

They'll run out of officers soon enough though.

And then CM waves 2 and 3 can proceed, joining the CM Casual Brigade coming around in a flanking pincer manoeuvre from Blackfriars and Westminster.

At which point they'll blow the bridges.

I suspect the Police will be happy to argue that afterwards- right now all they want is to prevent CM crossing the river.

too right, no point arguing with plod unless you want to be arrested. they are not there to argue, that happens after arrest, they will do what they have been instructed to do. and if that is "stop bicycles from crossing the river" then they will do that. Their reason for arrest (rightly or wrongly) will be "suspected breach of a imposed Section 12 order".

At which point they'll blow the bridges.

it has begun

they forgot "Do not lose this book"

It's not like it's a sensitive document that could bring down the government if released. It's easily obtainable information, just a cheat sheet for plod to help them remember how to make a legal arrest (or in the above case summink to do with cars).

Although I am now googling how to apply for Diplomatic Privilege

Write "CD" on your bottom

one letter on each cheek?

i know, its just funny that they need it.

According to Twitter there is a running (well, possibly cycling really slowly) street battle between riot coppers and CM.

They would only use it towards the start of their career, there's a fuckton of information to memorise*. Then they become more proficient/arrogant (delete as appropriate) that they don't need to refer back to the notes.

The Met have a hardon for mnemonics to help with this but they become so protracted it makes things worse. Trying to remember what mnemonic to use where becomes the struggle so you end up with mnemonics for mnemonics.

Anyway, anymore news from CM