Last "Critical Mass" action in Hrodna gathers 150 cyclists

An anniversary action of bicycle fans "Critical Mass" took place in Hrodna on May 27. The route was the shortest one for the whole 5-year history of the bicycle movement in Hrodna: people rode along the pedestrian Savetskaya Street to Lenin Square and got back.

This was the last action. Traffic police strictly prohibited the cyclists to go in the traffic way. The activists of the bicycle movement did all they could in correspondence and personal negotiations with the local authorities and think about the new formats of the action, in circumvention of official barriers. 

“If we follow the traffic police's terms in the framework of the "Critical Mass" action, this will be a violation of the very principle of the action. Riding a bike on the pavements or, as they suggest, in a forestry-park zone, contradicts the principles which exist all over the world, — an activist of the bicycle movement Paval has told to Euroradio. — There will definitely be some actions, but they will be more targeted. For example, there are the following problems: border stones, absense of bicycle ways and parking spaces for bicycles. We have learned the lesson, having camped in the doorteps of various instances for so many years. Some actions will be conducted whithout their approval, if it's not necessary. If something needs the authorities approval, we'll negotiate”.

The first "Critical Mass" action took place in San-Francisco in 1992. Since then, organized rides of cyclists with an aim to defend the right for equality in the automobile roads have become popular in more than 300 cities.