Tag Archives: direct actions

Press Releases

Press Release - Thousands See Dramatic Funeral Protest Bring Oxford Circus to a Standstill

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Thousands See Dramatic Funeral Protest
Bring Oxford Circus to a Standstill
in Memory of all those killed
by UK’s Lethal & Poisonous
Car-culture

* For immediate release *

Cycling and pedestrian safety protesters staged a symbolic funeral protest down Oxford Street to Marble Arch yesterday, Saturday 15th November.

The horse-drawn hearse paused at Oxford Circus for 2 minutes silence, to allow the crowds to mark the terrible toll of death, injuries and poisonings caused by motorised transport.

It then proceeded to Marble Arch, led by a lone bagpiper, where the protesters placed the symbolic coffin on a catafalque and staged a Dutch style die-in around it, in a ten minute meditation to mark the memory of the dead.

The crowd was then addressed by a range of crash survivors, victims’ families and grassroots campaigners. Among the marchers’ 10 demands were:

  • A multi-billion pound fund to create home zones to make our residential neighbourhoods safe for children again;
  • £3 billion annual investment fund for the creation of a national segregated cycle route; and,
  • The reform of national, regional and local Transport Departments into Walking, Cycling and Transport Departments.

Speakers included Professor Brendan Delaney, Kings College; Tom Kearney, Safer Oxford Street; and Caroline Russell, Green Party Transport Spokesperson.

Stop Killing Cyclists Co-organiser Donnachadh McCarthy said:

“Saturday’s powerful protest sent a loud message to the Government and London’s Mayor that the time for meaningless spin-doctoring about cycling and walking are over. What people across Britain want to see is real investment in making our streets safe for humans, not billions more for the motor lobby.”

Tom Kearney, Safer Oxford Street campaign in his speech said:

“I am just one of thousands of cyclists and pedestrians who’ve been killed or seriously-injured from a collision with a TfL bus since Boris Johnson became Chairman of Transport for London. Boris you cannot ignore us.”

Professor Brendan Delaney in his speech said:

“This car culture is destroying our bodies through pollution and inactivity as much as it destroys lives through so called accidents and our environment through emissions.”

He added:

“I spend my working life dealing with the end results of our collective blindness to the hidden killer. Diseases of inactivity will break our national health system in the coming decade. We have to stop.”

End.

Donnachadh McCarthy, co-founder of Stop Killing Cyclists, stands in Oxford Circus, as part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence protest organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by Brendan Delaney, used with permission, click to see larger version)
Donnachadh McCarthy, co-founder of Stop Killing Cyclists, stands in Oxford Circus, as part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence protest organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by Brendan Delaney, used with permission, click to see larger version)
Thousands watched the horse-drawn hearse travel through Oxford Circus, as part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence protest organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by DrMorocho, used with permission, click to see larger version)
Thousands watched the horse-drawn hearse travel along Oxford Street and through Oxford Circus, as part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence protest organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by DrMorocho, used with permission, click to see larger version)
People by the hundreds marched through Oxford Circus, as part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence protest organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by Tom Kearney, used with permission, click to see larger version)
People by the hundreds marched through Oxford Circus, as part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence protest organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by Tom Kearney, used with permission, click to see larger version)
Die-in at Marble Arch, part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by Brendan Delaney, used with permission, click to see larger version)
Die-in at Marble Arch, part of the National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence organised by the Stop The Killing coalition (Photo by Brendan Delaney, used with permission, click to see larger version)

*Stop the Killing Coalition includes: Westminster Living Streets, Campaign Against Climate Change, Stop Killing Cyclists, London Green Party, Safer Oxford Street Campaign, The Ecologist Magazine, Permaculture Magazine.

 

Stop Killing Cyclists - logo with website in redRelease Dated: 16 November 2014
Press Contact: Donnachadh McCarthy
Telephone: 07947 8842 99

Note to editors:

1. Stop Killing Cyclists is the direct action protest group set up after last November’s terrible spate of cyclist killings in London. They arranged the mass Die-In at TfL HQ where 1,500 cyclists laid down in the road in protest at lack of safety investment in London.

2. Stop The Killing is the associated group of pedestrian, cycling and environmental grass-root activists who want to eliminate Traffic Violence which includes Westminster Living Streets, Stop Killing Cyclists and the Campaign Against Climate Change.

3. Some of the statistics which the National Funeral wishes to highlight:

UK Cyclists Killed: 1,233 (DoT)
UK Pedestrians Killed: 5,787 (DoT)
UK Motorists Killed: 19,293 (DoT)
UK Patients Killed by Transport Pollution: 50,000 (NHS)
UK residents killed through physical inactivity due to lack of cycling infrastructure (estimated): 400,000 (Prof. Garfield UCL)
Ten Year Total Killings: 476,313

Thus the number of people whose deaths can be attributed to traffic violence over the last decade is the equivalent of the population of Manchester!

Total Cyclists killed seriously injured or injured: 198,000
Total Pedestrians killed, seriously injured or injured: 298,300
Total Motorists killed, seriously injured or injured: 1,913,502
Total killed, seriously injured or injured on UK Roads: 2, 409,802

This is the equivalent of the entire populations being injured or killed of Birmingham (1.1 million), Glasgow (0.6), Cardiff (0.3) and Manchester (0.5) combined!

4. The rally after the Mega Die-In under Marble Arch included Medical Professor Brendan Delaney, Oxford Street Bus Victim Tom Kearney, HGV cyclist victim Bart Chan, Poet Helen Moore, Opera Singer Louisa Beard and Stop Killing Cyclists Co-founder Donnachadh McCarthy.

5. The National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence 10 Demands are:

  1. Stop the Killing of Children – set up national multi-billion pound programme to convert residential communities across Britain into living-street Home Zones to abolish dangerous rat-runs.
  2. Stop the Killing of Pedestrians – establish a national programme to fund pedestrianisation of our city and town centres, including the nation’s high-street – Oxford Street.
  3. Stop the Killing of Pensioners from excessive speed. Introduce and enforce speed limit of 20 mph on all urban roads, 40 mph on rural roads/lanes and 60 mph on all other trunk roads.
  4. Stop the Killing of Cyclists. Invest £15 billion in a National Segregated Cycle Network over the next 5 years.
  5. Stop the Killing by HGVs. Ban trucks with blind spots by making safety equipment mandatory and strictly enforce current truck-safety regulations, to reduce levels of illegally dangerous trucks down from estimated 30% to less than 1%.
  6. Stop the Killing without liability – introduce a presumed civil liability law on behalf of vehicular traffic when they kill or seriously injure vulnerable road-users, where there is no evidence blaming the victim.
  7. Stop the Killing from Lung, Heart and other Diseases caused by vehicular pollutants. Make it mandatory for particulate filters that meet latest EU emission standards to be fitted to all existing buses, lorries and taxis.
  8. Stop the Killing at Junctions. Introduce pedestrian crossing times long enough for elderly disabled to cross. Legalise filtered junction crossings by cyclists with strict legal priority for pedestrians and carry out urgent programme of physically protected left-hand turns for cyclists.
  9. Stop the Killing from CO2 emissions from impacts of the climate crisis. All transport fuels to be from environmentally-sustainable renewable sources within 10 years.
  10. Focus on Life! Transport governance must make safety and quality of life the top priority. Reform all council transport departments, the Department of Transport and Transport for London into Cycling, Walking and Transport Departments with formal pedestrian and cyclist representation.
Events

Flashride Protest at Kings Cross 6pm 12th August

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Protest: Tuesday, 12th August at 6pm

Facebook Logo 58x58 blue Facebook event: KINGS CROSS FLASHRIDE
Twitter logo Twitter hashtag: #KingsXdemo
Twitter account: @kingsxdemo

Post-event: THANK YOU!!

The event was very well attend — thank you to all who came out and especially to those who stepped in at the last minute to ensure the event went ahead smoothly when organiser James Gower fell ill the evening before.

You can read about the event in this Cycling Weekly report: Cycling campaigners protest new road layout designs

Pre-event UPDATE:

James Gower writes…

Arrive at Kings Cross Square for 6pm

Soon after a few words about the gyratory, and the ride will be said.

At 6:10pm we will hold a two minute silence for Deep Lee, killed on the gyratory in 2011. There will be a floral tribute, so this can be laid during this time.

Straight after we will head out onto the gyratory; ride on this route until about 7pm or 7:30pm.

Thank you for the backing behind this. It is my first time organising anything like this, so here is hoping everything goes to plan!
image

 

Donnachadh writes…

KingsCross James GowerJames Gower, who is a member of Stop Killing Cyclists, is organising a Flashride Protest on Tuesday at Kings Cross.

The protest is because despite numerous submissions to the TfL proposals to re-configure the junction, it no-way approaches Go Dutch standards.

Almost ZERO suggestions from cyclists were taken on board. For example, there are NO protected Left-Hand-Turns and despite FIVE lanes for traffic on Grays Inn Road, NO segregated space has been allocated to cycling.

The Mayor promised Go Dutch and TfL Planners are failing to implement the promise.

A number of the Stop Killing Cyclists team are attending. You might think of printing off our Poster for placards?

James btw is a young student who drew up the great graphics for our Elephant submission to TfL and also has done some excellent proposals for Kings Cross. We want people like him in charge of road-designs!

TfL admitted when we met them that they had old school - “car is king” - planners who were not up to speed with Go Dutch standards but said they were waiting for them to retire….. !!!!

We wanted them trained to Go Dutch Standards and to deliver Go Dutch Standards or be fired.

How many more rubbish designs will these guys leave behind as a lethal legacy before they retire?!!

Events, Protests

Borough-by-Borough London Die-In

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Adam Jukes writes…

Cycle the London Boroughs Route
The route cycled, which covered all the boroughs of London (click for larger image).

On Saturday 28th June we* Cycled The Boroughs.

We cycled every one of London’s 33 boroughs (lets count City of London as a borough for the purposes of this write up!).

London Boroughs Die-Ins 2014 Wave (resized)
Seven people cycled the 95-mile route around and through London.

We’d done this before, in 2010 some friends and I mapped and cycled the shortest route for the first time- a 95 mile ‘e’ shaped ride starting in Hammersmith and Fulham. A few of us repeated the ride in 2012 and as 2014 rolled round it felt time to do it again.

My partner, some friends and I had attended the first Stop Killing Cyclists ‘die-in’ outside the TFL offices in November and lay down on the pavement at Elephant in Castle in May. My friend Chris, who rode the first ‘Cycle The Boroughs’ with me in 2010 suggested that our 2014 ride would be a great opportunity to promote the Stop Killing Cyclists campaign.

EVERY BOROUGH

And so it came to be that seven cyclists and friends, four from the UK, a Pole, a German and an Italian set off from Willesden Junction at 7.15am on a bright Saturday morning to stage a public ‘die-in’ in every London borough.

London Boroughs Die-Ins 2014 Sun (resized)
There was rain. There was sun. There was fun; with a serious message.

The route carried us along canal towpaths, through parks, on designated cycle routes and paths and along many minor and major streets and highways, sampling just about every sort of urban cycling experience there is to offer.

We began heading east from Hammersmith, a long straight route through the central boroughs north of Hyde Park, along an eerily empty Oxford Street, through Old Street, Victoria Park and past the Olympic site.

By Redbridge the sun bailed out behind an ominous looking cloud just as I swerved to narrowly miss a car door being flung open across the cycle lane. On reaching Havering we’d staged eleven die-ins, cycled about 25 miles, made a pit stop for espresso’s and more than burnt off breakfast.

DELUGE

Our long broad sweep through the northern boroughs saw us cycling on plenty of red routes, happily lost in a few woodlands and a stretch along the river Lea. The showers were at first refreshing, then chilling, obscuring glass on route and

Richmond
The group held a ‘Die-In’ in each borough that they visited.

slowing our pace through very heavy traffic in Barnet and particularly aggressive driving in Finchley.

After our Ealing ‘die-in’ we peddled south through the western boroughs before crossing the river at Twickenham through another deluge.

THUNDEROUS ROAR

Bexley
A rainbow at Bexley.

A welcome breather as we cycled through Richmond Park soon gave way to the thunderous roar of the A3 as we began to tick off the southern boroughs.

Passing through Merton, Sutton and Lambeth we knew that the greatest climb awaited; at Crystal Palace. Thankfully the rain had stopped by this point and soon as were atop the hill we were speeding down the other side towards Sydenham.

The sun returned for the first time since Waltham Forest giving us a much needed boost for the last stretch. The section of the Green Ring we cycled to the South of Catford was a joy and a break from the traffic, noise and pollution that had plagued us on much of route.

13 HOURS AND ONLY 1 FLAT TYRE

Approaching our final borough Bexley brought the unpleasant ride along the A20 and our only flat tyre of the day, just 3 miles before our finish at Sidcup Station.

The journey had taken us over thirteen hours, slowed by the many traffic lights we encountered meaning that parts of the group were forever getting stuck behind a red while that others were left waiting up ahead.

We completed the cycle on a collection of road bikes, hybrid bikes and mountain bikes.

The cycle highlighted just how far there is to go in creating a safe cycling environment in London and the lack of improvement in cycling infrastructure in the 4 years since we first completed the route, which is even more scandalous considering the huge increase in numbers of cyclists in this time.

— Adam

*The riders were: Adam Jukes, Jodie Cross, Jacob Przeklasa, Craig Horsfall, Laura Horsfall, Fabrizio Stefanoni, and Chris Speirs.

Barking
Barnet
Bexley
Brent
Bromley
Camden
City of London
Croydon
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace
Ealing
Enfield
Greenwich
Hackney
Hammersmith and Fulham
Haringey
Harrow
Havering
Hillingdon
Hounslo
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Kingston
Lambeth
Lewisham
Merton
Newham
At the Olympic Park
Redbridge
Richmond
Havering
Southwark
Sutton
Tower-Hamlets
Waltham-Forest
Wandsworth
Westminster
Protests

Elephant & Castle Die-In - Media Coverage

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Stop Killing Cyclists hold their third die-in at Elephant & Castle outside the Strata building (photo by Sean O'Sullivan)
Stop Killing Cyclists hold their third die-in at Elephant & Castle outside the Strata building (photo by Sean O’Sullivan)

Elephant & Castle Draw-In and Die-In

Thank yous

Follow-Up

Event Listing: On website and On Facebook

Media Coverage - Before the Event

Media Coverage - After the Event

TV Reports and Interviews

Speeches

Pictures

 

Short-cut to this page:

http://StopKillingCyclists.org/ElephantCoverage

Follow-Up

5 June 2014: Elephant & Castle Emergency Cycling Safety Proposals Revealed

Media Coverage - Before the Event

Media Coverage - After the Event

TV Reports and Interviews

London Live (22 May 2014)

ITV News (21 May 2014, 6pm newscast)

 

ITV News (17 May 2014, am): Interview of widow of person killed

BBC London News (14 May 2014): Bart Chan interview with Tom Edwards

ITV News (14 May 2014, 6pm): Interview of Donnachadh McCarthy at E&C

London Live (14 May 2014, 7am): Interview of Donnachadh McCarthy at E&C

Speeches

GardenVisit.com (Tom Turner): Elephant and Castle protest demo - Space for Cycling London 21 May 2014

Pictures

Demotix…

Tim Hoy-Griffiths…

Andrew Reeves-Hall…

Protests

Elephant & Castle Die-In – Thank Yous

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Donnachadh McCarthy writes…

Stop Killing Cyclists hold their third die-in at Elephant & Castle outside the Strata building (photo by Sean O'Sullivan)
Stop Killing Cyclists hold their third die-in at Elephant & Castle outside the Strata building (photo by Sean O’Sullivan)

Just a quickie to say a huge thank you to everybody who showed up to our Direct Action Protest at the Elephant yesterday.

(UPDATE: media coverage of the event is HERE)

I thought it was one of our best events to date and believe a really powerful, moving and effective message was sent to TfL, Southwark and London - no more killing!

Today’s event involved a huge array of people voluntarily helping in one way or another - remember today’s event was purely grassroots organised with no money and no organisation - so I think what you all managed to create was awesome and I am know that Steve joins me in saying a huge thank you.

Just look at this picture!!! It summarises so well what is needed in a moving, graphic and dignified direct-action protest.

One quick piece of feedback - Will and Luke urged me to take on Simon Hughes MP, the Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties, who showed up at the event and was speaking to Live TV.

Loathe to allow him to give a government spin on what was happening, I interrupted his interview gently and challenged him live on air about his and his party and his administration’s record, which in my view is just as bad as Val Shawcross’s Labour GLA and Southwark Council.

As a result he invited us to come into his offce next week to go over our entire list of demands at national and local level.

Yes We Can!

(UPDATE: more thank yous after the video - scroll down)

—

YouTube: Donnachadh quizzes Simon Hughes MP

More Thank Yous…

Before we move on from this week’s Direct Action at the Elephant, it’s important to thank the many many people who helped make it the great and important success that it was.

Fred Smith - who set up FB event and organised the chalk and so much else.
Andrew D Smith - for printing and handng out the flyers.
Abby Taubin - for flyering and reading out the Heaney poem.
Will Nickell - for bringing a cycle trailer of stuff across London and ensuring victims had a voice at the event.

Dave Rinaldi Alexandra Dingreville Richard Paul Brocklehurst Sonia Quintero John Garthwaite, UCL students etc etc for help with flyering

Paul Brocklehurst for sorting out emergency tape and chair!
Krisztian Hajdu for banner and roundels
Graham Neale and Luisa Pretolani for sorting out overhead camera crew
Chris Lemin - for bringing PA and Mike
Andrew Reeves-Hall - for doing great stuff on website
Steve for doing the flyer graphics
Nic Fripp - for loan of cycle trailer
Luke Holland for helping me organise lane drawing
Rhiannon Redpath for asking 38 degrees to FB event
Jenny Jones and Natalie Bennett for tweeting the event
ITV, London Live, Evening Standard, South London Press, Road CC, Southwark News etc for letting their audiences know about protest beforehand.
Tom Kearney for his moral support
David Fonseca for the posters
Karl Roche for useful profile graphic
To all who tweeted and emailed and Facebooked the event including the enthusiastic Mad Munk
The mums and dads who brought their kids
To all who wrote powerful messages on the drawn in cycle lane
To the many talented photographers who ensured our visual message was recorded and seen by many.
To the Met police who helped the public get past the protest and who allowed us chalk the cycle lane without hassle
And most importantly to the women, men and kids who turned up and lay down in Direct Action protest including people who cycle, walk and drive.

Yes You Did - And Yes We Can! 

We are hugely grateful for what all you guys did - this event and all Stop Killing Cyclists activities are organised with no funding and no professional staff - so it is you guys who make the miracles possible.

Big thanks from

Steve and Donnachadh

Events

Elephant Draw-In and Die-In Direct Action Protest

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Emergency services attend to a crash at the Elephant and Castle roundabout in London on 13th May 2014. Photo by Nyron Gopeesingh, used with permission.
Emergency services attend to a crash at the Elephant and Castle roundabout in London on 13th May 2014. Photo by Nyron Gopeesingh, used with permission.

UPDATE: Please see our ‘Thank Yous‘ and ‘media coverage‘ articles..

What: Direct Action Draw-In and Die-In
When: Wednesday 21st May, 5.30pm - 6.30pm
Where: Outside Strata SE1, Elephant & Castle southern junction, SE1 6EJ, London.
Bring: White and Green Chalk. (We have got some wallpaper lined up in case we need to switch from chalk if it rains)
.RSVP:

Facebook Event Listing
Map, Background: DIRECT ACTION DETAILS (on our Stop The Killing website)
Press Releases: 19/05/2014: Over 350 Cyclists Signed up… 14/05/2014: Elephant Draw-In & Die-In

Stop Killing Cyclists - E&C event logo

 

SOUTHERN INTERSECTION

Remember: this protest is taking place at the southern intersection, next to the Strata building.

Dignified and Peaceful

Some family members of those killed and injured may be attending - so we are asking that people treat the event as a dignified peaceful Direct Action expressing our anger but our peaceful determination to get emergency action to protect cyclists and pedestrians asap from Southwark Council and TfL.

Timings

Approximate timings of the event today - rain or shine. Subject to change depending on situation, weather and media goals.

The Die-In may take place before the Rally at 6pm as London Tonight, Evening Standard, Live TV, South London Press and Southwark News have all said they want to cover the event - possibly on their evening broadcast.

The police have been very helpful liaising to ensure its safe.

NOTE: Timetable may vary slightly from that published. Be there for 5:30p and then you won’t miss a thing!

5:00 Pre-event meet-up for volunteers to sketch the outline of where a segregated cycle lane should go

5:30 Start of “Draw-In” event. Protesters invited to colour in the cycle route in whatever way they feel moved to -whether images or messages. We must be respectful as the protest is a result of Abdelkhars Lahyani’s terrible death last week.

6:00 Die-In (bring something soft for lying on the ground!) 

6:10 Rally - speech by Steve. Poem to be read by Abby. Special message to the protest from Thames Street victim Bart Chan to be read out by Will. Possibly other statements.

6:25 Concluding speech by Donnachadh

News Articles:

TV Reports and Interviews:

ITV News (17 May 2014, am): Interview of widow of person killed

BBC London News (14 May 2014): Bart Chan interview with Tom Edwards

ITV News (14 May 2014, 6pm): Interview of Donnachadh McCarthy at E&C

London Live (14 May 2014, 7am): Interview of Donnachadh McCarthy at E&C

Flyer

Click to download pdf of flyer (2-sided)
Click to download pdf of flyer (2-sided)

** please no fly posting - just for handing out to people you meet **

Note: the date of posting of this article was 14 May; It was changed to 21 so that it appeared at the top of the blog on the day of the protest.

Press Releases

Press Release - Over 350 Cyclists Signed up for Elephant Draw-In and Die-In Direct Action

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press release header

Over 350 Cyclists Signed up for Elephant Draw-In and Die-In Direct Action

Press Release Date: 19th May 2014

What: Direct Action Draw-In and Die-In
When: Wednesday 21st May, 5.30pm - 6.30pm
Where: Outside Strata SE1, Elephant & Castle southern junction, SE1 6EJ
Bring: Chalk.
Details: Map, background, news reports
RSVP: Facebook event listing

Over 350 cyclists have already signed up to attend a protest at London’s most dangerous junction this Wednesday, following the death of Abdelkhalak Lahyani last Monday at Elephant & Castle. Protesters are so frustrated at the lack of urgent action that they will chalk in the route of the segregated cycle-lane that Southwark Council and TfL failed to include in the recent multi-million junction refurbishment, despite the calls by campaigners to do so.

We will also stage a die-in with our bodies and bikes along the route of the vital cycle-lane.
The Facebook event page is at: Stop Killing Cyclists – Direct Action Elephant & Castle (Link: http://goo.gl/7bwnNq )

Stop Killing Cyclists Co-organiser Donnachadh McCarthy said,

“This was not an accident but a designed-in killing. TfL insisted on lethally prioritising traffic speeds through the junction and Southwark Council’s Transport Plan opposes segregated cycle-lanes.”

He added,

“Southwark was warned that its policy of using cyclists bodies to slow HGV trucks and buses would end up in carnage on our streets. It is time now for Southwark & TfL to send in emergency crews to install the safe segregated left-hand turn by-passes that campaigners have demanded for years.”

Stop Killing Cyclists have consulted professional traffic engineers and they confirm our proposals are sensible, practical and cost less than £10,000. Action is now needed before yet more lives are needlessly sacrificed and families cruelly torn-apart.

RSVP: [email protected] or 07947 884299

End.

Note to editors:

1. Stop Killing Cyclists is the direct action protest group set up after the spate of cyclist killings in London, in November 2013. They arranged the mass Die-In at TfL HQ where 1,500 cyclists lay down in the road in protest at lack of safety investment in London.

2. The London boroughs, including Southwark, are responsible for 95% of London’s roads, whereas the London Mayor and TfL control the remaining 5%, i.e. the very large arterial routes.

3. Southwark Council has not installed a single metre of segregated cycle-lane in the 3 years since their Head of Planning, Simon Bevan announced a policy of using cyclists to slow the traffic.

4. The Southern Roundabout where the tragedy took place was resigned in 2010. The redesign was planned to speed traffic flow and failed to install any adequate physical protection for cyclists, despite TfL being told their designs failed to protect them.

5. A recent FOI survey by Stop Killing Cyclists revealed that 24 London Boroughs had installed ZERO metres of segregated cycle-lanes since the last elections in 2010.

Press Releases

Press Release - Elephant Draw-In and Die-In

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press release header

 

Elephant Draw-In and Die-In
Direct Action Protest

What: Direct Action Draw-In and Die-In
When: Wednesday 21st May, 5.30pm - 6.30pm
Where: Southern Roundabout Plaza, Elephant & Castle, London.
Bring: White and Green Chalk.

 

To mark yet another unnecessary cycling tragedy at the Elephant & Castle and to protest at the continued total failure by Southwark Council and TfL to install emergency protected by-passes at dangerous junctions across London such as the Elephant, we will draw in Green and White Chalk the protected cycle-lane that Southwark and TfL should be installing immediately.

We will also stage a die-in with our bodies and bikes along the route of the urgently necessary cycle-lane.

The Facebook event page is at: Stop Killing Cyclists – Direct Action Elephant & Castle

Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder Donnachadh McCarthy said:

“The carnage from trucks horrendously killing cyclists at Left-Hand-Turns has got to stop. Southwark, TfL and the other London Boroughs need to urgently install safe protected turns at junctions across London urgently, where there is sufficient space for pedestrians and cyclists.“

He added:

“Stop Killing Cyclists are so frustrated at the lack of action, that we will ourselves on Wednesday draw in green and white chalk the route of a protected junction cycle by-pass that Southwark and TfL lethally left out of the recent multi-million refurbishment of the southern Elephant junction.

Alongside the chalked cycle-lane, we will also stage a Die-In to represent the hundreds of London pedestrians and cyclists being killed unnecessarily on our City’s roads. We welcome all road users to the protest.“

RSVP: [email protected] or 07947 884299

End.

Note to editors:

1. Stop Killing Cyclists is the direct action protest group set up after the recent spate of cyclist killings in London. They arranged the mass Die-In at TfL HQ where 1,500 cyclists lay down in the road in protest at lack of safety investment in London.

2. The London Boroughs including Southwark are responsible for 95% of London’s roads, whereas the London Mayor and TfL control the remaining 5% i.e. the very large arterial routes.

3. Southwark Council has not installed a single meter of segregated cycle-lane in the 3 years since their Head of Planning, Simon Bevan announced a policy of using cyclists to slow the traffic.

4. The link to the Facebook event is: https://www.facebook.com/events/246342555567982/

5. The link to the direct action information page is: http://StopTheKilling.org.uk/Elephant

Protests

Children and families ‘Pedal on Parliament’ in their thousands

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Thousands protest at Pedal on Parliament (photo by Chris Hill).
Thousands protest at Pedal on Parliament (photo by Chris Hill).

On Saturday, people by their thousands took to the streets of Edinburgh to protest road danger and demand that their elected representatives make substantial changes to the transport infrastructure and laws.

This year’s event came just weeks after the driver of a 55 foot articulated lorry was acquitted of causing the death of Andrew McNicoll as he cycled to work along Lanark Road in January 2012.

This is the third year for the Pedal on Parliament protest - each attracting more people than the previous one. Estimates are that about 4500 people protested this year - many of whom were families: FAMILIES TO THE FORE FOR THE THIRD PEDAL ON PARLIAMENT.

CHILDREN TELL POLITICIANS WHAT THEY WANT

Children address the protesters and politicians at PoP 2014 (photo by Chris Hill).
Children address the protesters and politicians at PoP 2014 (photo by Chris Hill).

One speaker at the protest in front of Holyrood was 8 year old Daniel Brennan who told the crowd:

“I’d love to be able to go for a bike ride without going in the car to cycle with my family. It would be great if Scotland was like Amsterdam where everyone can cycle with their friends.”

7 year old Katharine Dorman demanded:

“Let’s make Scotland a cycle friendly country!”

And 11 year old Kyle Thomas said:

“I believe cycling is the future for Scotland… Cycling down the high street I thought to myself that this is how cycling should be, there wasn’t a single car on the road but lots of cyclists as it should be.”

NO LONGER ABLE TO BE IGNORED

Transport Minister Keith Brown at Pop 2014 (photo by Chris Hill).
Transport Minister Keith Brown at Pop 2014 (photo by Chris Hill).

The growing visibility meant that government could no longer ignore the voices being raised: Transport Minister Keith Brown attended the protest to defend his government’s policies.

He announced £4.5 million over 2 years for promoting cycling training.

Not surprisingly, the organisers were quick to point out that:

…educating children to cycle on the road is not the best use of money, compared with starting to invest in a cycling network where they can actually be safe, and more importantly feel safe, as they get around on two wheels.

There’s no training in the world that will guarantee a child’s safety around HGVs and fast-moving cars – and as long as children need to mix in traffic to ride their bikes, then parents will be reluctant to give them the freedom to ride.

Thankfully, that message is being heard and taken on board by a growing number of politicians - the organisers are continuously updating their list of supportive MSPs and quotes: POLITICAL RESPONSES.

Keith Brown, the Transport Minister, addressed the crowd at PoP and said in part:

“We are making progress on infrastructure with more than £32 million spent on infrastructure… It will take time for Scotland to become as safe as Amsterdam. We have to change driver behaviour as well… we need to have the same attitudes as Scandinavian countries aiming towards zero deaths.”

MEDIA COVERAGE

The protest was front page news and received wide coverage in the media - a full list is being updated by the PoP organisers: MEDIA COVERAGE.

The BBC gave it headline coverage on their TV broadcast and news website: Thousands take part in Pedal on Parliament event in Edinburgh.

The organisers continue to post updates using their Twitter account: @PoPScotland. Their website is at PEDALONPARLIAMENT.ORG

WRITE TO YOUR POLITICIANS

Lynne marches in Pedal on Parliament 2014.
Lynne marches with councillors and MSPs in Pedal on Parliament 2014.

A leading campaigner for reducing road danger is the step-mum, Lynne, and father, Ian, of Andrew McNicoll - who was killed in a collision with a 55ft long articulated lorry in Edinburgh as he commuted to work on his bicycle.

The driver of the lorry was recently acquitted of causing his death: Man cleared over death of cyclist Andrew McNicoll.

Lynne wrote on her blog (HERE) following the PoP 2014 protest:

“it was so good to see politicians in some numbers with us: MSP Alison Johnstone, Cllr Cameron Rose, Transport Minister Keith Brown, Cllr Andrew Burns.

I asked the crowd and I ask you too now – if your politician was there, thank them and if they weren’t there please do write to them and tell them what we want:

No more cyclist deaths;

Better infrastructure;

Presumed liability;

for anyone of any age to cycle safely.

A time-lapse photo of people cycling to the protest is HERE.

Protests

Wall of Death - Thank yous

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Donnachadh McCarthy writes…

Donnachadh McCarthy reveals the shocking information obtained through FOI requests sent to every London Borough.
Donnachadh McCarthy reveals the shocking information obtained through FOI requests sent to every London Borough.

Great success today everybody - loads of coverage for another vintage Stop Killing Cyclists protest!

Biggest thanks to everybody who contributed in loads of ways to Wall Of Death - especially to all of you who gave up your lunch-hours and held up the banner for a full hour.

It was a great privilege for us to have Debbie Dorling, the widow of Brian Dorling speak at the protest, despite the short notice.

Thanks to Will Nickell for his great FOI research,

Icame Isawi Steve for the Facebook page/images,

Abby Taubin for logistics,

Evey Allsopp for the moving bagpipe playing,

Harry for the PA system,

John Garthwaite for the stats backup,

Everybody who spread the word,

Mad Munk for his tweets,

Andrew Reeves-Hall for website wizardry,

David Fonseca for the placards.

Westminster Living Streets for endorsing and attending

Westminster Cyclists for promoting it

Apologies if I have missed anybody out!

We got buckets of coverage today and hopefully more tomorrow - so really worth it to keep the pressure up for our realisable goal of a wonderful modern safe cycling London.

Yes We Can!

Thanks

Donnachadh

Some of the media coverage is collated here: