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# Police need to work with cyclists
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/police-need-to-work-with-cyclists-editor/
- Published: 2007-11-16T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T03:56:16.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Alex Thompson Santa Monica Critical Mass participant*

The attendance of Tuesday’s City Council meeting by over 50 Critical Mass participants, with 33 entering public comments, indicates the broad base of support for Santa Monica Critical Mass (SMCM). As always, the rule that “for each supporter in attendance, there are many supporters who are not” holds.

Hopefully, now you all have a clear picture that SMCM — while disruptive to motor traffic — has a deeply positive effect within the cycling community. While SMCM is horizontally organized (”leaderless”), in my judgment, there is a strong consensus to seek a solution which mitigates the city’s concerns and preserves the integrity of SMCM’s traditional methodology. I think that SMCM desires a peaceful, even amicable, relationship with police.

Many SMCM participants have researched this by speaking with activists in such cities. Of particular note are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brooklyn, London, Melbourne and Manhattan. Since losing a class action lawsuit in 2000, Los Angeles takes a “hands off, move the ride through quickly” approach. In San Francisco, Brooklyn, London, and Melbourne, CM is escorted by police who close intersections to allow the ride to proceed through as quickly as possible. In Manhattan, the city council, after being ordered by a federal judge to cease harassment of CM, passed an onerous ordinance banning certain types of group processions. The result is ongoing conflict with CM and acrimonious relationship between police and cyclists. I urge (city leaders) to contact city officials and police departments in these cities.

I was impressed with the range of options discussed by the council after public comment. City Attorney Moutrie and Councilman McKeown noted that the city makes special exemptions from traffic laws, particularly lights, for certain events such as funeral processions. I look forward to hearing what options the city staff consider for SMCM.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 16, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/111607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)