The Only Good Cop Is A .................
On Saturday, November 7, 2009, the New Orleans Bookfair was in full swing, with blocks of tables full of local independent, radical, and alternative literature. A cop had been cruising the streets of the outdoor fair, stopping to stare at punk-looking musicians and the kids in the bouncey castle (pedophiles on the force?), making several passes as the otherwise festive day unfolded.
Like a hyena marauding at the edges of the event, he eventually pounced, stopping a bicyclist for riding the wrong way down the street, which was being harmoniously utilized by walking customers, bicyclists, musicians, and cars, all giving each other the space they needed. The officer stopped his car in the middle of the street, in the middle of the fair, and blocked traffic for over 30 minutes while he proceeded to slowly write a ticket to an unfortunate one of the dozens of people riding up and down the street on bicycles in both directions.
This cop was mistaken in thinking he could get away with his harassment of cyclists unchallenged, and soon a crowd gathered to witness and confront this blatant harassment. Chants began of "Stop Police Harassment" and "Riding a bike is not a crime," as bookfair attendees, neighbors, and onlookers joined in. Soon the lone cop was facing down a crowd of dozens, clapping, chanting, and exposing the routine function of the police as arbitrary bullies, enforcing the version of "law and order" they choose to enforce: against the poor, against cyclists, and against alternative cultures.
The cop was completely shamed, humiliated, and embarrassed, as not one person in the crowd of hundreds of onlookers supported his actions. He succeeded in further, and thanks to the spontaneous protest, very publicly, delegitmizing the role of the police in New Orleans for hundreds of people. The unemployed cyclist, who the cop no doubt saw as an easy target, was grateful for the support he received, and local anarchists pledged to stay in touch and bring a full courtroom to his hearing, as well as help him pay his ticket if he is convicted. Solidarity is our power.
His court date is set for December 23rd, and New Orleans bicyclists, anarchists, and anti-Prison Industrial Complex activists will be there to see this fight to its finish and show the cops that harassment of bicyclists and poor people in our city will not be tolerated.
To stay informed and get the details of the court-hearing, join the NOLA-anarchists email group:Send a blank email to nola-anarchists+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Like a hyena marauding at the edges of the event, he eventually pounced, stopping a bicyclist for riding the wrong way down the street, which was being harmoniously utilized by walking customers, bicyclists, musicians, and cars, all giving each other the space they needed. The officer stopped his car in the middle of the street, in the middle of the fair, and blocked traffic for over 30 minutes while he proceeded to slowly write a ticket to an unfortunate one of the dozens of people riding up and down the street on bicycles in both directions.
This cop was mistaken in thinking he could get away with his harassment of cyclists unchallenged, and soon a crowd gathered to witness and confront this blatant harassment. Chants began of "Stop Police Harassment" and "Riding a bike is not a crime," as bookfair attendees, neighbors, and onlookers joined in. Soon the lone cop was facing down a crowd of dozens, clapping, chanting, and exposing the routine function of the police as arbitrary bullies, enforcing the version of "law and order" they choose to enforce: against the poor, against cyclists, and against alternative cultures.
The cop was completely shamed, humiliated, and embarrassed, as not one person in the crowd of hundreds of onlookers supported his actions. He succeeded in further, and thanks to the spontaneous protest, very publicly, delegitmizing the role of the police in New Orleans for hundreds of people. The unemployed cyclist, who the cop no doubt saw as an easy target, was grateful for the support he received, and local anarchists pledged to stay in touch and bring a full courtroom to his hearing, as well as help him pay his ticket if he is convicted. Solidarity is our power.
His court date is set for December 23rd, and New Orleans bicyclists, anarchists, and anti-Prison Industrial Complex activists will be there to see this fight to its finish and show the cops that harassment of bicyclists and poor people in our city will not be tolerated.
To stay informed and get the details of the court-hearing, join the NOLA-anarchists email group:Send a blank email to nola-anarchists+subscribe@googlegroups.com
posted by The Iron Rail Book Collective at
12:16 PM
14 Comments:
I'm a cyclist myself and I was at that particular event, however I disagree with your slanted view of the events that unfolded.
It pisses me off to no end when another cyclist proceedes to blatantly disregard the traffic laws of this city which, no doubt, are put into effect to protect those of us who have an IQ greater than 80 and choose to follow said laws. When some moron who thinks that this entire city is their playground in which they can cycle any way for any reason at any time decides to ride against the flow of traffic and I, having chosen to follow the rules, must attempt to avoid not only hitting the cyclist, who for God only knows why chose to ride towards me, but other people and, even worse, vehicles traveling in the same direction I'm headed.
I would like to make one point, in your post you stated "His court date is set for December 23rd, and New Orleans bicyclists, anarchists, and anti-Prison Industrial Complex activists will be there to see this fight to its finish and show the cops that harassment of bicyclists and poor people in our city will not be tolerated.
"
Do you think while at that event you could bring books containing the municipal code of the City of New Orleans and distribute these books to the "crowd of dozens" that attend so people will stop cycling towards me when I ride my bike? The New Orleans bicyclists, law-abiding citizens, and pro-government followers would appreciate it.
cars following the "laws" you love so much have hit me 3 times on my bike.
Laws do not exist to protect us, they exist to control us, especially because they are selectively enforced.
Next I expect you'll be calling for more red-light cameras and jaywalking tickets?
followers of the law are no friend of anarchists. Have fun taking 3 hours to get anywhere when you are following "all" (I doubt that is even possible) of the laws about bicycling in the city.
you're basically a cop. I have never been hurt or even inconvenienced by a cyclist riding "illegally" near me on my bike. I doubt you have either.
people do better with less laws and regulations, not more:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448747,00.html
Dear Mr or Mrs. Patriot,
You say you were at this event, but were you really? For I would imagine if you were, you would have taken into account that this was a large street fair during which dozens of people were not only riding but walking the wrong way down the street throughout! Setting aside for a moment your fixation with being a "law-abiding citizen" with your legitimizingly high IQ, your indignation in this instance seems about as absurd as venturing out to the Quarter on a weekend and getting pissed at people for going the "wrong" way down Bourbon Street!
But you're right. These irresponsible imbreds who break the traffic laws should be punished to the severest extent of the law! In fact, I think I WILL show up to court with that municipal book you mentioned. After that maybe I'll go and give the policeman and judge a blowjob to express my gratitude for how great of a job they're doing in our city!
I’m a Libertarian and I firmly believe in a small and/or limited government. I firmly believe that everyone should be able to do whatever he or she wants to in his or her own home, as long as it doesn’t infringe on another person’s rights or disturb another person’s peace. We can lobby our representatives and public officials to stop new laws from becoming law and we can lobby those same officials to remove or update antiquated laws. However, a law is a law and it can be enforced by a police officer at his/her discretion.
I heard this story from patrons at this event. Yes a large number of people were riding their bicycles against traffic and the police officer only stopped one person (A supposedly poor African American male). People, should the police stop everyone and ticket everyone all the time? Do we want the police to be uncompassionate Nazi Storm Troopers? We all hate the red light speed cameras!!! We don’t need a Zero Tolerance policy! As much effort that you self proclaimed anarchists/activists put forth against “THE MAN”, why don’t you put that much effort against the criminals! Did you hear about the incident when a patron was robbed outside of a restaurant on Touro when the suspect was a black male riding a “BICYCLE”? Did you hear the other night when the tourist had her cell phone stolen by a black male riding a “BICYCLE”? Do you know that suspects commit crimes everyday on “BICYCLES” and they love to go against traffic on “ONE WAY” streets to make it harder for the police (THAT FOLLOW DESIGNATED TRAFFIC PATTERNS) to apprehend them? I talk to my local police and they can tell you that they are given descriptions of perpetrators of crimes everyday at their roll calls. How do any of us know that this person wasn’t a possible suspect of a crime and needed to be questioned?
Read your local municipal code book before you start chanting “Riding a bicycle is not a crime” Go to www.municode.com and look up the New Orleans municipal code on Bicycle Laws.
I live in the French Quarter area and I am tired of people riding their bicycles wherever and however they want! You have people riding their bicycles on the sidewalk! You have people riding their bicycles in the “PEDESTRIAN MALL” on Royal Street! You have bicyclists riding bicycles against traffic! You have bicyclists running stop signs!
I hear there is some project in the area that teaches and helps people build their own bicycles. You see these bicycles in and around the Quarter all the time. Some of them are even 6-8 feet off the ground. I wish this project would handout the bicycle laws which would help everyone out. “SOME” of these bicycles don’t have reflectors, bells/horns, brakes and/or lights. You hardly ever see anyone riding a bicycle with a helmet, except the Guardian Angles (I LOVE THOSE DUDES). It is a Louisiana State law, you have to wear a helmet.
All in all we don’t know if “ONE OF OUR BEST PAID, TRAINED AND EQUIPPED” stopped this bicyclist for another reason? We don’t know if he received a call via his radio about this bicyclist? We don’t know if another citizen flagged him down and reported this particular bicyclist? WE DON’T KNOW!!!!! Lastly, this poor bicyclist may have received the ticket because of the people chanting in the crowd. Sometimes crowds force the pen of the police because the officer was worried about a unsubstantial complaint being made against him. This guy could have received a warning, but the matter was made worse by the chanting crowd. I think it will be really funny if all of your anti prison feminist activists show up at this guys $20 ticket hearing! Stay home, don’t bathe and hug a tree!
poster #4:
you're not a libertarian at all. you want cops to enforce laws about riding bicycles on the sidewalk, you nazi.
i think you need to live in the coutry, because you obviously can't deal with city life.
and, we know EXACTLY what happened because we were there and tried to talk to the cop first for 20 minutes.
and the bike rider was not black, but he was a poor young white dude.
why don't you just blow your brains out because you are a total nazi. it's HILARIOUS that you prefaced a nazi-like rant about law and order and your own intolerance for bicyclists by saying you are for limited government!
how many accidents by cyclists with pedestrians have resulted in deaths or serious injuries?
If we're talking safety and space here, CARS take up way more space and KILL people all the time on bikes and on foot. your anger is placed, bicyclists may ride closer to you than you'd like or in the "wrong" direction sometimes, but that is only because CARS takes up the majority of the public space designated for transportation.
if you were really a libertarian, you'd take the position of these European cities that have done away with all traffic laws, which has led to more responsible commuters and safer communities:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448747,00.html
oops: **your anger is MISplaced**
p.s.-and, the cop said that he was giving the ticket out because some ASSHOLES had been complaining about bicyclists not following all the laws.
p.p.s.-fuck the guardian angels
The Guardian Angels harass homeless people!
NEWS FLASH.....NEWS FLASH....NEWS FLASH....
Anarchist held up at Gun Point on Frenchmen at Royal Street and can't decide wether or not to call the police?
either way, it won't stop him from getting robbed. duh.
ummm...
It was Saturday November 7th.
Sunday was the Saints game, bra.
Anarchists quival over minut facts, such as skin color and dates. Forget those 2 facts and focus on the rest of my comment! How about you use your brain and stop cursing and using words like "BRA"?
when you call yourself an anarchist, you automatically lose all credibility.
Homeless people harass the guardian angles!
definition of Anarchisht: skid mark on society's underwear
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