The streets of Zurich belonged to cyclists on Friday evening. Image: keystone
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Zurich HardbrĂĽcke pump full of bicycles Autof – drivers not amused
As usual, the Critical Mass took place on the last Friday of the month. This time, thousands were out and about in Zurich.
Drivers: yesterday Friday had a hard time in the city of Zurich. There were two reasons for this: On the one hand, the weather was really good. The sun was shining and with an outside temperature of 19 degrees it was pleasantly mild. On the other hand, it was Friday. The last Friday of the merry month of May. And for Velöler that meant one thing inside: Out on the street. And ride a bike.
Critical Mass means what was going on yesterday. From the outside, it looks like a big bike demo, but those involved contradict. In their opinion, the “Critical Mass” is a seemingly random and unorganized meeting of cyclists who ride through the cities together on the last Friday of each month. Not as a demonstration or a rally For something, but to present the sheer mass of cyclists. Hence the term «critical mass».
Yes, it really looked like that. Image: twitter / felix schindler
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And it was huge yesterday. The Zurich SP Cantonal Councilor Nicola Sigrist counted and came up with 2550 “beautiful people on the bike”, as he writes in a chat. However, the number should have been significantly larger. In the “Tages-Anzeiger”, observers reported: inside of around 10,000 people. The Zurich City Police, which has been accompanying these large bike rides for some time, did not communicate a number.
The huge number of cyclists had enormous consequences for motorized traffic. When the Critical Mass reached the HardbrĂĽcke in Zurich, the traffic temporarily jammed for several hundred meters, almost to Bucheggplatz. According to the app data, the bicycle “train” stretched around 3.5 kilometers – which, unsurprisingly, also affected public transport. Several bus and tram lines stood still.
Blocking intersections to protect the moving masses is seen in the scene as a “cork”. Image: keystone
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As expected, that did not suit everyone. Angry horns sounded from numerous cars, which locally also rocked to horn concerts. Others expressed their annoyance with loud music from the vehicles or with counter-provoking howling of the engines.
A Twitter user complained: “Wow! The ‘Critical Mass’ wants to promote bicycle traffic in the city of Zurich by paralyzing all public transport / car traffic and causing traffic chaos … a Mitenand on the street is not possible! “
The Critical Mass is originally from San Francisco. It took place there for the first time in 1992 and established itself in other cities around the world in the years that followed. In Zurich, it attracts between a few hundred to a thousand people every month, depending on the weather.
True to the motto, according to which the movement only sees itself as a major “traffic”, it takes place without a police permit. However, the city police are present with dialogue teams and intervene in conflicts between cyclists and motorists, or when emergency vehicles are on the move. Political elements, as they can usually be seen at demonstrations, are absent at such events. Instead, the movement is noticeable through “Hello, Velo!” Shouts, bells and music boxes.
(pit)
