You've gotta hand it to the french - they know how to make and effective protest.
French motorcyclists more angry than ever March 14, 2010] Last month,
we published a post where we said that thousands of motorcyclists were
expected to demonstrate all over France in protest at a recent
Government announcement to fine any bikers caught filtering through
the traffic. Well, the demonstrations took place yesterday, 13th March
2010. More than 60 cities and towns saw their roads blocked by
thousands of angry bikers who said NON to the French authorities who
keep treating motorbikes, scooters and mopeds like cars.
The French Government have recently announced their intention to take
draconian measures against bikers who overtake cars and filter in
between them in traffic jams by issuing expensive fines. They expect
every bike to stay in lane, like cars, behind each other, and not go
any faster than them. How stupid is that? Paris, for instance, but
also Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Toulouse are already very
congested cities due to the high number of cars in circulation, and
the Government is keen to add more pressure on the roads by forcing
Powered Two Wheelers (PTW) to behave like cars.
They treat us like cars, we will behave like cars!
La F?d?ration Fran?aise des Motards en Col?re (FFMC - the French
Federation of Angry Bikers) urged all motorcyclists on the other side
of the Channel to protest and, as a result, France saw a total of
40,000 motorcyclists gathered on the roads yesterday, with 10,000 of
them in Paris alone. Parisian motorcyclists joined the FFMC at 2pm at
Ch?teau de Vincennes, on the outskirts of Paris. There were already
5,000 bikers at 1.30pm, another 2,200 joined between 1.30pm and 2pm
and the rest joined during the demonstration.
If one car = one bike, let's see the results!
Angry bikers took over the whole p?riph?rique (the express road
running around the centre of Paris), each occupying the space of one
car in each lane. Within minutes, an enormous traffic jam was created
by these 10,000 motorcyclists, thus gridlocking the whole of Paris on
a busy Saturday afternoon, when Parisians go out to do their shopping
and visit friends and relatives. The result was absolutely
spectacular, car drivers were stuck in traffic until late in the
evening by the time all the traffic jams cleared.
Let?s cause massive disruption in the metro!
Did you say bikers, if not happy, had to take the metro like everyone
else? Fine, let's do it!
For anyone who decided to leave their car at home and take the metro
instead, unfortunately that didn?t help. In response to a statement
made by the French Transport Secretary, Jean-Marc Belotti, who said
?If they [bikers] are not happy, they can take the metro like everyone
else?, protestors took over the Paris underground network. While some
bikers continued to block the roads and cause standstill overground,
others went down the underground en masse and occupied an entire
train, thus bringing the entire line to a complete stop. We let you
imagine the outcome if thousands of motorcyclists left their bike at
home and commuted by tube. This is valid in London too, if Westminster
City Council continue to stealth tax bikers to park, thus increase the
cost of motorcycling. Next time, Mr Belotti will think twice before
opening his mouth!
UK France Bikers are very proud indeed of the FFMC and their actions
to protect the rights of motorcyclists in France. The FFMC is a real
example to follow for everyone. It is now time that public
authorities, wherever they are in the world, realise that they?re not
above everyone else. To the contrary, they are there to serve the
people who elected them.
They inconvenience us, we will inconvenience them! Power to the people!
Please join and support the campaign to stop Westminster Council from
stealth taxing motorcyclists to park before their scheme spreads all
over the UK and the rest of Europe. For further details, visit
http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com/
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