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> Critical Mass, a grassroots, totally decentralized, autonomous movement of
bike activists
> and riders has been riding every month since it's first San Fransico bike
ride in 1992.
> Modesto seems ripe for a total critque of the oil and car industries as a
whole,
> (and capitalism in general), as it's urban sprawl machine heats up. As Bay
Area
> folks are pushed out of the bay area because of rising rent, they are
moving into
> towns and cities generally associated with agriculture. As Starbucks,
Borders,
> and McDonalds pop up every where, farmland is disappearing and open green
> space is swallowed up to make way for trach homes.
> Modesto, which has in essence only two major roads that lead to the 99
> Freeway (Briggsmoore and Standiford), can not realistically accomidate the
> majority of people commuting to work, and to various destinations around
town.
> Thus, traffic and congestion is at an all time high, and seems to be
getting
> worse and worse. Modesto's homeless are also felling the heat, as their
needs
> (emergency shelter, low income housing), are swept under the rug, and the
city
> spends 9 million on a new over pass with old fashioned light posts, and a
new
> fountains that spills over and wastes water. Larger corporations are
coming in,
> and driving out or replacing the independent and largely more community
> oriented stores in the downtown area, (although some near by towns are
> resisting Wal Marts etc, for instance Turlock).
>
> Critical Mass is an alternative to this, although it may only be symbolic
and
> celebratory. The Situationists said, "Beneath this concrete - a beach!",
we ask,
> "We you join us in a swim?" Swim we did. Through flyers, wheatpaste, and
> talking to friends, Critical Mass Modesto organized it's first ride in
Downtown
> Modesto with about 30 people, and a handful of skateboarders.
>
> The ride was a success, and lasted for about an hour, and ended in a small
> gathering in a local park with Food Not Bombs sharing food. The only
problems
> that occured was the falls of several skateboarders, and a poor merging
causing
> a trucker to spit on one of us. Several younger children attended, and we
has
> some particpants from out of town. One rider carried a sign saying, "Let's
End
> Our Fuelish Ways", another carried a black flag with the anarchist (A).
>
> The corporate media has shown some interest in this, but more of the
novelty
> aspect than an actual interest in the ethics, ideas, and critques that
Critical
> Mass, it's partipants, and supporters try and bring up.
>
> We are hoping that the next Critical Mass in Modesto will be event better.
It will
> take place on March 26th, Downtown Modesto 10th and J Street, 5pm.
>
> Email: modanarcho@???
>
> Corporate Media Coverage:
> http://www.modbee.com/local/story/8203906p-9054034c.html
> Valley IMC Pictures: http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/02/1671619.php
>
> Note: http://www.indybay.org/centralvalley
>
>
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