Posted by Patrici Flores on Monday, August 11, 2008 02:50 pm
How does ubiquitous Berkeley legend Zachary RunningWolf have the uncanny ability to be everywhere at once? We saw him twice last Friday, and not ’cause we were looking for him. He appeared once near the oak grove, and then later on the coattails of Critical Mass as they blasted their hippie bike radio down Telegraph Avenue. He eventually dropped a burning flag onto the middle of the street, causing a temporary safety hazard for confused drivers.
Don’t mind the blurry photo. We spent too much time shuffling for our camera phone to actually get Runningwolf or Critical Mass in the shot. Though we can tell you that we did hear a choir of “What’s that guy’s problem?” as bystanders watched the flag burn. And then, life moved on.
Friday night, Berkeley’s Critical Mass was more than just a bunch of hippies on bikes. The Chronicle reports “an angry confrontation” between cyclists and a man driving a mini-van.
The cyclists claim the driver tried to run some of them over, but Berkeley police say that
bq. There’s nothing to suggest in the report or documentation thus far that the driver intentionally or had an intent to hit anybody…The driver and his wife, both of them were very confused and, in their words, feared for their safety being encircled by this group, who they characterized as being quite aggressive and angry.
So far, it’s unclear exactly what went on and who’s at fault. Watch the video and you’ll notice some crafty editing: We don’t actually see how the bikes and the mini-van first made contact.
At one moment, an angry cyclist confronts the driver’s wife. “We’re victims of you. We are victims of you, ma’am,” he says.
And we at the Clog are victims. Victims of “Eye of the Tiger.” We can’t believe they seriously blasted that song as they biked around.
Look out for the Daily Cal’s scoop on Thursday.
Cyclist, motorists clash in Berkeley Critical Mass [SF Chronicle]
Motorist Violence at Berkeley Critical Mass (May 11, 2007) [YouTube]
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