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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Critical Mass arrests: police charge three | Critical Mass arrests: police charge three |
| (30 days later) | |
| Police have charged three people involved in a mass cycle procession in London during Friday's Olympic ceremony. They confirmed that a 13-year-old was among the 182 cyclists who were arrested in what is believed to be the UK's largest mass detention since last summer's riots. | Police have charged three people involved in a mass cycle procession in London during Friday's Olympic ceremony. They confirmed that a 13-year-old was among the 182 cyclists who were arrested in what is believed to be the UK's largest mass detention since last summer's riots. |
| Some of those arrested have told the Guardian they were kettled and detained through the night in a windowless police "garage" and single-decker buses. | Some of those arrested have told the Guardian they were kettled and detained through the night in a windowless police "garage" and single-decker buses. |
| The operation by the Metropolitan police was aimed at halting about 200 cyclists on the monthly Critical Mass bike ride from travelling in and around the Olympic Route Network as Danny Boyle's "Isles of Wonder" opening spectacle unfolded. | The operation by the Metropolitan police was aimed at halting about 200 cyclists on the monthly Critical Mass bike ride from travelling in and around the Olympic Route Network as Danny Boyle's "Isles of Wonder" opening spectacle unfolded. |
| Transport police have confirmed that one officer used CS gas during the arrests. Those arrested were part of pedal bike procession that has traditionally taken place in the capital on the last Friday of the month for the past 18 years. | Transport police have confirmed that one officer used CS gas during the arrests. Those arrested were part of pedal bike procession that has traditionally taken place in the capital on the last Friday of the month for the past 18 years. |
| One 32-year-old electrician who did not want to be named said he was picked up by police, even though he was not part of the event. | One 32-year-old electrician who did not want to be named said he was picked up by police, even though he was not part of the event. |
| He said he was simply riding his bike past the Critical Mass group when he was arrested near the Bow flyover and held overnight in Croydon in a windowless room with a bare concrete floor. | He said he was simply riding his bike past the Critical Mass group when he was arrested near the Bow flyover and held overnight in Croydon in a windowless room with a bare concrete floor. |
| "I'd left my home at about 20.20 in east London. I literally got on my bike, rode around Stratford and just started riding up the road on my way to my friend's house … I was then arrested." | "I'd left my home at about 20.20 in east London. I literally got on my bike, rode around Stratford and just started riding up the road on my way to my friend's house … I was then arrested." |
| Another arrestee, a computer programmer for a prominent London university, who did not want to be named, said he was also in the Croydon police garage for more than four hours before he was processed. | Another arrestee, a computer programmer for a prominent London university, who did not want to be named, said he was also in the Croydon police garage for more than four hours before he was processed. |
| "They [the police] say Critical Mass was a kind of protest against the Olympics. They've really made it into some kind of anti capitalist, horrible thing. Personally, I was on a bike ride with my girlfriend and friend and there were other cyclists around us. I wasn't a part of anything. I couldn't care less about the Olympics." | "They [the police] say Critical Mass was a kind of protest against the Olympics. They've really made it into some kind of anti capitalist, horrible thing. Personally, I was on a bike ride with my girlfriend and friend and there were other cyclists around us. I wasn't a part of anything. I couldn't care less about the Olympics." |
| Another arrested cyclist, who only wanted to be known as Henry, said as he waited two hours to be processed by the police he was beside a 13-year-old who had his hands handcuffed behind his back, along with others who had been picked up by police. | Another arrested cyclist, who only wanted to be known as Henry, said as he waited two hours to be processed by the police he was beside a 13-year-old who had his hands handcuffed behind his back, along with others who had been picked up by police. |
| "I can honestly say I had absolutely zero intention of disrupting the Olympics – I really don't think anyone did. It was about enjoying cycling, not hating the Olympics." | "I can honestly say I had absolutely zero intention of disrupting the Olympics – I really don't think anyone did. It was about enjoying cycling, not hating the Olympics." |
| A 26-year-old legal secretary said the pepper-spray incident happened near Blackfriars bridge earlier on in the cycle ride when there was a tussle between a police officer and some of the cyclists. | A 26-year-old legal secretary said the pepper-spray incident happened near Blackfriars bridge earlier on in the cycle ride when there was a tussle between a police officer and some of the cyclists. |
| A number of hours afterwards he said police "brought three single-decker buses in. We had a photo taken with us and our bike … the bikes were then taken away and we were handcuffed and loaded on to a bus." | A number of hours afterwards he said police "brought three single-decker buses in. We had a photo taken with us and our bike … the bikes were then taken away and we were handcuffed and loaded on to a bus." |
| He said he was held in a cell overnight and not released until noon the next day. | He said he was held in a cell overnight and not released until noon the next day. |
| A 22-year-old language teacher said officers had started to cut the route off as he passed over the Bow flyover. | A 22-year-old language teacher said officers had started to cut the route off as he passed over the Bow flyover. |
| "People stopped and looked confused for a brief moment outside the Tesco Express and then the police very quickly formed a kettle around us. That lasted around two to three hours." | "People stopped and looked confused for a brief moment outside the Tesco Express and then the police very quickly formed a kettle around us. That lasted around two to three hours." |
| He said after being taken to one police station in a bus he was then brought to Sutton in Croydon. "We got to the police station at about 1am or just after." | He said after being taken to one police station in a bus he was then brought to Sutton in Croydon. "We got to the police station at about 1am or just after." |
| He added that one person, who was desperate to use the toilet, urinated on the bus. The teacher said he had spent five hours in the cell and was released at 7am. | He added that one person, who was desperate to use the toilet, urinated on the bus. The teacher said he had spent five hours in the cell and was released at 7am. |
| The Met confirmed several people were held on buses while waiting to be processed, but described the building as a "former transport garage", which had been converted to use as a police custody suite. | The Met confirmed several people were held on buses while waiting to be processed, but described the building as a "former transport garage", which had been converted to use as a police custody suite. |
| "Due to the number of people who were arrested, these exceptional circumstances meant we used alternative methods of transport – people were taken to a number of different police stations across London and buses were used." | "Due to the number of people who were arrested, these exceptional circumstances meant we used alternative methods of transport – people were taken to a number of different police stations across London and buses were used." |
| They said 182 people were arrested and three were charged for various offences including assault. The rest they say were bailed, pending further enquires. | They said 182 people were arrested and three were charged for various offences including assault. The rest they say were bailed, pending further enquires. |
| Bail conditions included not entering the Olympic borough of Newham on a bicycle, entering "any Olympic-only carriageway" or going within 100 metres of an Olympic venue. | Bail conditions included not entering the Olympic borough of Newham on a bicycle, entering "any Olympic-only carriageway" or going within 100 metres of an Olympic venue. |
| One of those bailed told the Guardian that not entering Newham on a bike would mean abandoning cycling altogether for the duration of the Olympics as he lived on the border of the borough. | One of those bailed told the Guardian that not entering Newham on a bike would mean abandoning cycling altogether for the duration of the Olympics as he lived on the border of the borough. |
| In a statement on Sunday police said: "Officers were aware that a monthly cycle procession was due to take place on 27 July and made several attempts to engage with riders to discuss their plans … Officers believe this may have included other individuals or groups not normally part of the monthly procession. | In a statement on Sunday police said: "Officers were aware that a monthly cycle procession was due to take place on 27 July and made several attempts to engage with riders to discuss their plans … Officers believe this may have included other individuals or groups not normally part of the monthly procession. |
| "As the procession had the potential to cause serious disruption to the life of the community, the Metropolitan Police Service applied conditions under section 12 of the Public Order Act. | "As the procession had the potential to cause serious disruption to the life of the community, the Metropolitan Police Service applied conditions under section 12 of the Public Order Act. |
| "The participants in the procession were informed of these conditions." | "The participants in the procession were informed of these conditions." |
| Police added that cyclists "continued to ride around the Olympic route network, despite numerous warnings, and officers took action to detain the cyclists". | Police added that cyclists "continued to ride around the Olympic route network, despite numerous warnings, and officers took action to detain the cyclists". |
| "People have a right to protest and it is an incredibly important part of our democracy … What people do not have the right to do is to hold a protest that stops other people from exercising their own rights to go about their business – that means athletes who have trained for years for their chance in a lifetime to compete, millions of ticketholders from seeing the world's greatest sporting event, and everyone else in London who wants to get around." | "People have a right to protest and it is an incredibly important part of our democracy … What people do not have the right to do is to hold a protest that stops other people from exercising their own rights to go about their business – that means athletes who have trained for years for their chance in a lifetime to compete, millions of ticketholders from seeing the world's greatest sporting event, and everyone else in London who wants to get around." |
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