Here’s the scene this afternoon on Market Street between 7th and 8th – a handful of Iraq War veterans stopping for one second of silence for each U.S. service member lost. That’s 4259 seconds, or about 70 minutes, and they just about spent that much time on Market before getting hauled away by the SFPD.
Click to expand:
Shortly before getting arrested:
Bike messenger Kirk Janes was killed yesterday morning in a collision with a truck at Fulton and Steiner in Alamo Square. San Francisco’s Ride of Silence, already planned for yesterday evening, was then hastily altered to start at this intersection.
The Ride of Silence occurs on the third Wednesday in May in almost 300 cities around the world. It’s a bicycle ride to commemorate cyclists killed or injured while riding on public roads. It helps to raise awareness among motorists of the dangers they pose to cyclists. Unlike a Critical Mass event, Ride of Silence rides are not designed to stall traffic or create conflict with motorists.
A KTVU channel 2 news crew spoke with riders as they assembled:
Friends of Kirk Janes were on hand with flowers:
It’s unusual to see a group this large not chatting and making noise. At the infamous intersection of Fell and Masonic:
