Critical Mass Cycle-Dublin City- Photos

by Paul Kinsella - Too many to name Thu Sep 23, 2004 14:43 paulkinsella53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Eire 085-1478100

As somebody who participated in yesterday's Critical Mass I agree with "Participant"'s comments above. On a much more serious note just to prove why we need a Reclaim The Streets and Critical Mass I came across a very serious accident on Dame Street at it's junction with Sussex Street involving a truck and a female cyclist just after the Critical Mass had finished up. Dame Street was closed for over 1/2 hour whilst the emergency services freed the cyclist. Amazingly she survived and was brought to St. James Hospital. I believe her condition is stable now. She was extremely lucky to survive. This shows why need to get the trucks and private cars off our city centres. Only the Irish Examiner as far as I am aware out of all of the media print and broadcast even mentioned this accident.

by Participant Thu Sep 23, 2004 13:53

Watching Car Free Day reports on Euro News this morning it looks like it was generally a damp squib around Europe.

Don't know it's origins but it feels like a day that emerged to co-opt/ buy off the grassroots enviro movement of the early '90's.
Looking around Dublin yesterday doesn't look like the role of the private motor vehicle in choking up the city is not being seriously addressed. News that the trend in China is to get off the push bike and into the private motor vehicle sounds apocalyptic!

Got to Memorial Gardens pretty early after walking in from home. Lots of Gards there before 6pm kick off. The weather was turning badly for the event.

It was a pretty moderate roll up from cyclists, skaters & pedestrians for such a big day on the critical of car movement calender. As always a criticism of numbers isn't blaming the people who showed up more a reflection on those who didn't! A pretty big roll up from the Garda on cyles, on foot, in vans, on motor bikes. The Garda remained pretty well behaved throughout.

The vibe was good heading down O'Connel. When we hit Dame there was a bit of criticism from one punter waitng for a bus he perceived we were holding up. Most folks at bus stops and on footpaths were curious....there was a real need for a leaflet explaining what we were doing. Maybe a general critical mass leaflet addressing public transport & other related issues couldbe produced and used every month. One guy was handing out leaflets promoting Speakers Square and they were being snapped up eagerly by folks waiting for buses etc. So there's definitely a market there!

The whole thing was generally good. But like a lot of these anarcho events there's a lack of an ability to end well- an end game to go with the promoted beginning. Instead of ending well and sharply with maximum numbers....the event ended at best in dissapation at worst with a few isolated indivduals blocking traffic way too long.

Moving cars are very dangerous, they kill people on a daily basis. Road rage abounds & is nothing new to RTS, Critical Mass events.
I've seen two protestors run over at similar events in Melbourne & London. It'sunderstandable tha peolpe who cylcle in Dublin daily see Critical Mass & RTS as a rare opportunity to vent against motorists. But we got to keep it political rather than therapeutic. We got to keep it inclusive rather than PC elitest - bus drivers and people who regularly use buses are not our enemies!

All in all CM in Dublin yesterday was a lot better than nothing. Keep rockin' Hope the critical stuff here is taken in the spirit of respect that it was written. Always good to act, reflect, and act again- see you at the next one!

by dunk Thu Sep 23, 2004 09:55

couldent get there
work to do down the country
well done to all

ireland has more or less given the thumbs up to the kyoto agreement now by dumping the carbon tax.
maybe in the words of the SLF tune, now its a
"state of emergency"

anyway
heres link to fritjof capra webcast(archive), one of the "berkley lectures" that we will soon be screening, starhawk will also be giving a lecture (she is a peace activist who was up at the mayday media centre with us and participated in the mayday weekend)
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66514&condense_comments=false#comment87193

his talk outlines, very simply, how the present state of things is absolutly unsustainable and how it needs to be changed through action and education
so by seeing it perhaps more peeople will be out on bikes next time

by Noise Lover Thu Sep 23, 2004 03:23

Car Free Day Cork – Photos and Words –
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66710

Galway Environmentalists Nail their Colours to the Mast on European Car-Free Day – Photos and Words –
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66708

DCC - Press/Photo Call – The Spire – Photos
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66695

by Noise Creator Thu Sep 23, 2004 03:20

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by Noise Producer Thu Sep 23, 2004 03:16

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Teenagers salute the mass!