<p>well, actually, a <a href="http://forests.org/archive/america/laintree.htm">hand full</a> <a href="http://www.meltonforcongress.org/speeches_essays/local_battleofstonysprings.html">of times for</a> <a href="http://idsnews.com/print.php?id=5112">miscellaneous activist stuff</a>. the arrest in question, though, was at a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass">critical mass</a> that we had in bloomington, IN. it was the first event in our <a href="http://www.ainfos.ca/01/mar/ainfos00325.html">"week of resistance"</a> to show our support for a fellow resistance figher, <a href="http://www.mindfully.org/Heritage/Frank-Ambrose-Charges-Dismissed.htm">frank ambrose</a>, who had been bogusly charged with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treespiking">tree-spiking (</a><a href="http://www.ucimc.org/newswire/display/2251/index.php">charges later dropped for lack of evidence</a>) and to show the feds that we wouldn't back down in the face of repression <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cointelpro">COINTELPRO</a> tactics.</p>
so everything was going fine. in a smallish college town of around 70,000 we had a critical mass of about 250-300 people. which is really really awesome. then tension between the swarm of cops and the hundreds of traffic blocking bicyclists hit a point of no return. cops starting pulling people off their bikes in the back of the ride. all hell breaks loose. and a bunch of us end of getting beat up and arrested. this picture was take of me being carried away by three cops. which i think is funny, because i weigh, like, 120. take note of the asshole on right of the picture. between the red and black flag and the cop. he's the undercover cop that tackled me leading to my arrest. there was at least one other undercover in the ride. fortunately, the cops didn't get there grubby paws on my bike. friends were able to smuggle it away.
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153383774/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/48/153383774_41cab5c7ef.jpg" alt="critical mass arrest"></a></p>
<p>this also happened that day. my long time friend and bandmate, ian phillips, was pulled off his bike, thrown to the ground, got a knee in the back and THEN got pepper sprayed. that pool of liquid coming from his face is pepper spray. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153383804/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/51/153383804_cfe80613cf.jpg" alt="ian's critical mass arrest"></a></p>
<p>anyhow, i found these two photos tonight while going through a box of old papers and arrest related stuff. thought i'd post them.</p>
