Bicycle Civil Liberties Union (BCLU) The Bicycle Civil Liberties Union The Bicycle Civil Liberties Union

Bicycle Civil Liberties Union Justice for Berkeley Critical Mass

    VIDEO OF ATTACK


MEDIA: Contact Jason Meggs, (510) 725-9991 for
original footage and terms for broadcast.

Having trouble understanding what happened? Think the bicyclists erred?
Please check these quick facts about the incident.

MEDIA COVERAGE:

    A woman was hit by an older driver after leaving the May 11 Berkeley Critical Mass.
    Her interview was recorded during the Emeryville Critical Mass on May 26, 2007: here.

    KTVU Ch. 2 May 16: here.

      KTVU did a fairly balanced job here, although they did not include critiques of the police report and their "independent witnesses."

      A glaring problem: It was wrong for KTVU to edit out the most important piece of this video, showing the bikes collapsing under the bumper as the driver pressed forward and trapped the cyclists in front of him, even as the reporter says the video doesn't show everything (presumably he means, the initial part of the incident where the driver, after honking, plows into the crowd, which unfortunately wasn't captured on tape). However, the edited portion is included unedited later in the piece, showing it!

      This despite the fact that KTVU is generally considered the best television news station for covering bicycle issues fairly, particularly for being the only station we know of to interview the other side of the story in the much-misreported and sensationalized March SF Critical Mass incident, in which a driver endangered her children by plowing into the thinning crowd at the rear of the ride, stiking a cyclist in a hit and run. That story is here.

      Let the truth be known!

    Oakland Tribune May 18: here.

    SF Chronicle May 15: here.

    KRON disappears April 27 story from their website. The story featured Jason Meggs of the BCLU discussing the attack on demonstrators by who endangered her children on March 30, continues to misrepresent the story and grossly exagerrate it. Will not respond to inquiries as of May 24, 2007.

    KRON tries to find the "missing footage" story May 14: here. Criticism here.

    Berkeley Daily Planet May 15: here. A draft letter to the editor is here.

    KTVU Ch. 7 driver identified story: here. Oakland Tribune May 14: here.

    KTVU Ch. 2 story May 12: video and detail.

    KGO ABC Ch. 7 story May 12: here ; criticism of biased reporting here.

    Some witnesses' criticisms of media coverage: here.

    KCBS Radio story May 12-13: here.

    SF Chronicle story May 12: here.

    The Bicycle Civil Liberties Union Youtube story: here.

    Indymedia story here; Comments and discussion here.

    Indymedia critique story here.

    Critical Manners story: here.

    Grade the News discusses the distortion and ethical issues surrounding the March 30 incident in SF: here.

The Bicycle Civil Liberties Union
IMAGES:

The attacker. He barelled across a large intersection to collide with the demonstration,
which was proceeding in an orderly fashion after passing through a green light.


The aftermath: three bicycles crushed by the attacking motorist.


These poor children, who had been traveling in a bicycle trailer, were
very traumatized by the attack, which was terrifying for the group.


Earlier, the demonstration traveled without incident through Berkeley.
This ongoing event is now in its 15th year of monthly rides.

Email: jmeggs account @ site bclu.org

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