Rally Against Recent Worcester Police Crackdown On Bikes

WORCESTER, MA—The following was sent to Worcester Patch on behalf of the cyclist and community members hosting a bicycle ride in support of "508 Bike Life" in Worcester, Friday, Nov. 3:

Friday at 5:15 p.m. in front of Worcester City Hall, cyclists and concerned community members will host a brief rally proceeded by a bike ride in support of 508 Bike Life, our city’s youth who enjoying riding in groups and popping wheelies.

Two weeks ago the city launched a task force to crack down on Worcester youth participating in group bicycle rides. Police cited “swerving,” crossing over yellow lines and blocking traffic as motivations for the change in policy. As cyclists and community members, we do not believe such actions warrant a criminal response, especially because these are youth in our community, many of whom are black and brown.

We fully support 508 Bike Life. These young people organize positive activities for their peers and promote cycling in the city. Worcester Police claim to have confiscated numerous bicycles from youth thus far. Instead of criminalization and confiscation, we urge a community-led process to work together with these young cyclists, ensuring the youth have the right to ride in the city and educate both drivers and cyclist about cyclists' rights and how to share the road.

Here is the link for the Facebook event page.

Photo via Shutterstock