Comments on: Bike Rides for Oaxaca! http://friendsofbradwill.org/2006/10/bike-rides-for-oaxaca/ Working for human rights in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:16:57 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: ChristopherJohn http://friendsofbradwill.org/2006/10/bike-rides-for-oaxaca/comment-page-1/#comment-24 ChristopherJohn Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:41:15 +0000 http://www.friendsofbradwill.org/2006/10/31/bike-rides-for-oaxaca/#comment-24 As some of you know, I did a foolish and disrespectful thing Wednesday past while participating in a Bike Ride in Solidarity with the People of Oaxaca with The Friends of Brad Will. In one moment of rash poor decision making, I hastily destoyed the trust placed in me by the group and failed to fulfill any role I might have played. It wasn't about me. I never met Brad Will; I played no part in the organizing, only showed to support. I tried to empathize, but failed. I failed to show respect to those most hurt and in a rash move to take a part I violated the trust of the group. This is my sincere apology. I was wrong. I acted alone and contrary to the group ethic. There is much for me to learn if I plan to continue on this evolutionary path. The criticism, instruction and advice I have received in light of my mistake has been enlightening and I appreciate the time taken out to correct me. As some of you know, I did a foolish and disrespectful thing Wednesday past while participating in a Bike Ride in Solidarity with the People of Oaxaca with The Friends of Brad Will. In one moment of rash poor decision making, I hastily destoyed the trust placed in me by the group and failed to fulfill any role I might have played.

It wasn’t about me. I never met Brad Will; I played no part in the organizing, only showed to support. I tried to empathize, but failed. I failed to show respect to those most hurt and in a rash move to take a part I violated the trust of the group.

This is my sincere apology. I was wrong. I acted alone and contrary to the group ethic. There is much for me to learn if I plan to continue on this evolutionary path. The criticism, instruction and advice I have received in light of my mistake has been enlightening and I appreciate the time taken out to correct me.

]]> By: unsophisticated. » http://friendsofbradwill.org/2006/10/bike-rides-for-oaxaca/comment-page-1/#comment-23 unsophisticated. » Thu, 02 Nov 2006 17:49:02 +0000 http://www.friendsofbradwill.org/2006/10/31/bike-rides-for-oaxaca/#comment-23 [...] MANHATTAN, NY. the ride for Oaxaca yesterday was powerful. i rode on a “sound bike,” a tricycle with a sound system on the back. a woman had burned a cd of music from Oaxaca. about 50-75 people rode through manhattan, chanting and blasting mexican music. we passed out flyers to spread the news. we stopped at three places: the NY Times, the Mexican Consulate, and the UN building. at each stop, someone spoke about the government forces in Oaxaca, the seven murders, and their friend brad will. at the mexican cosulate, two people unfurled a large banner that had a photo of brad with a young mexican child, both smiling, and everyone aplauded with both joy and rage. everyone rode their bicycles with such powerful emotions revolving around us. the police followed us with their motor scooters, and let us do our thing at each stop. at the UN, someone tried to block the entrance, but was pushed out by security. we lagged at the end of the ride, just standing outside of the UN unsure that we had done enough, but feeling somber and sort of lost in the whole thing. the cops didn’t seem to try to push us out, but we eventually moved to keep from causing a problem. on the ride away, the cops finally pulled out their tricks, the cop in the white shirt announcing to the other cops on scooters to grab anyone who crosses the intersection at the red light. we had been riding through red lights–with their assistance–all day. my sister and a few others got nabbed. while i waited with my sister as the cop wrote her a ticket, we saw a struggle at the next intersection. a biker was grabbed for “blocking the intersection” and there was a bit of commotion from both sides, fighting the usual fight when a protester gets grabbed. one person was dragged away in plastic cuffs. [...] [...] MANHATTAN, NY. the ride for Oaxaca yesterday was powerful. i rode on a “sound bike,” a tricycle with a sound system on the back. a woman had burned a cd of music from Oaxaca. about 50-75 people rode through manhattan, chanting and blasting mexican music. we passed out flyers to spread the news. we stopped at three places: the NY Times, the Mexican Consulate, and the UN building. at each stop, someone spoke about the government forces in Oaxaca, the seven murders, and their friend brad will. at the mexican cosulate, two people unfurled a large banner that had a photo of brad with a young mexican child, both smiling, and everyone aplauded with both joy and rage. everyone rode their bicycles with such powerful emotions revolving around us. the police followed us with their motor scooters, and let us do our thing at each stop. at the UN, someone tried to block the entrance, but was pushed out by security. we lagged at the end of the ride, just standing outside of the UN unsure that we had done enough, but feeling somber and sort of lost in the whole thing. the cops didn’t seem to try to push us out, but we eventually moved to keep from causing a problem. on the ride away, the cops finally pulled out their tricks, the cop in the white shirt announcing to the other cops on scooters to grab anyone who crosses the intersection at the red light. we had been riding through red lights–with their assistance–all day. my sister and a few others got nabbed. while i waited with my sister as the cop wrote her a ticket, we saw a struggle at the next intersection. a biker was grabbed for “blocking the intersection” and there was a bit of commotion from both sides, fighting the usual fight when a protester gets grabbed. one person was dragged away in plastic cuffs. [...]

]]> By: Women of Color Blog » UPDATE: URGENT Mexican Consulate protests result in arrests URGENT http://friendsofbradwill.org/2006/10/bike-rides-for-oaxaca/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Women of Color Blog » UPDATE: URGENT Mexican Consulate protests result in arrests URGENT Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:19:29 +0000 http://www.friendsofbradwill.org/2006/10/31/bike-rides-for-oaxaca/#comment-22 [...] Posted by brownfemipower on 31 Oct 2006 at 09:14 am | Tagged as: actions and organizing Mexican government was using Brad’s death to justify sending federal forces into Oaxaca to quell the uprising that has been going on there for five months. U.S. won’t pressure Mexican government over reporter’s death. Photo’s of Government Storming Oaxacan protestors New York Renews attack on Right to Assemble (contains a list of numbers for New Yorkers to call/email) BBC News: Protestors vow to retake the city (you have to pick through the coverage a bit on this, but the bottom line is, it looks like the people are mobilizing in spite of the violence) The Unapologetic Mexican: The Shadow Shifts, the Light Lifts Friends of Bradly Will: BIKE RIDES FOR OAXACA IN NEW YORK PLEASE FORWARD [...] [...] Posted by brownfemipower on 31 Oct 2006 at 09:14 am | Tagged as: actions and organizing Mexican government was using Brad’s death to justify sending federal forces into Oaxaca to quell the uprising that has been going on there for five months. U.S. won’t pressure Mexican government over reporter’s death. Photo’s of Government Storming Oaxacan protestors New York Renews attack on Right to Assemble (contains a list of numbers for New Yorkers to call/email) BBC News: Protestors vow to retake the city (you have to pick through the coverage a bit on this, but the bottom line is, it looks like the people are mobilizing in spite of the violence) The Unapologetic Mexican: The Shadow Shifts, the Light Lifts Friends of Bradly Will: BIKE RIDES FOR OAXACA IN NEW YORK PLEASE FORWARD [...]

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