tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674144.post5696499139927112590..comments2023-10-24T16:19:59.962+01:00Comments on andrew's blog: Critical Mass London 28/03/14 - my reportAndrew Culturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05956598938572120303noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674144.post-32177842676988400672014-03-30T19:16:04.936+01:002014-03-30T19:16:04.936+01:00I had no idea that were ever Critical Mass rides h...I had no idea that were ever Critical Mass rides here in Ipswich!Andrew Culturehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05956598938572120303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674144.post-14598152070688722902014-03-29T11:39:57.663+00:002014-03-29T11:39:57.663+00:00Critical Mass were instrumental in many of the Rec...Critical Mass were instrumental in many of the Reclaim The Streets activities I got involved in during the late 1990s. They helped to clear the streets of cars so that sound systems and RTS activists could move in and turn an otherwise busy, congested and polluted area of London into a family friendly social space with free entertainment and provide an opportunity (and prompt) for socio-political discourse between activists and the general public. RTS events grew from a few hundred taking part in East London after the Wandsworth bypass protests, to tens of thousands attending the Carnival Against Capitalism that brought the City of London to a standstill one Friday in 1999, and Seattle in November 1999. They then moved to Europe as protests against the G8, and Critical Mass was as important as ever in getting them going. Unfortunately anti-terror laws introduced after 9/11, the shooting dead of a black-bloc protester in Genoa and raids on organisers squats, (not to mention 'traditional' left wing groups like the SWP trying to jump on the bandwagon and set up their own version of RTS), put a lot of people off from getting involved and the momentum behind RTS dried up. I never personally took part in the actual Critical Mass part of these events myself, but did get involved in one in Ipswich many years ago. It's really good to hear that Critical Mass is still happening though. Thanks for the report.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com