Lukas Bühler bends over the load surface of the trailer with bikes and the cable. Throughout the afternoon, the 31-year-old businessman and artist has tinkered with his friends in the DJ booth with fireplace. In a few hours, you will be part of the Critical Mass, the monthly Veloumzugs through the city centre.

Together with a further a very popular Bicycle full can of beer, the convoy takes on the last of February-Friday, shortly after 18 hours of travel. The illuminated lettering "consumption fireplaces" at the rear of the DJ-Velos suggests: it is the core of the nine members of the moving group with the same name. And the whole group is something like the core of the Critical Mass – where all parties Involved would deny it.

half An hour later, on the Bürkliplatz. Hundreds of people with bicycles gather around the pavilion. The boxes of the consumer fireplaces, all now with disco music, the Scenery. The fireplace blows fog in the cold evening air.

fighting spirit defies Virus

What of this collection? Every fourth Friday of the month meeting for a couple of years, hundreds of cyclists inside, and cyclists to "take to the road for the claim." No matter whom you ask – is all to say that it was this collection of a Demo. But an "incidental group of critical parts". "We will not obstruct the traffic, we are traffic!", it is everywhere. This fighting spirit may harm the Coronavirus is nothing.

For Bühler and its consumption fireplaces is this edition a special one. A month ago, your Companion, the police were stopped during the move. The mobile was incorrectly interpreted as a pendant. For the first Time since the year of Existence of the consumption of fireplaces, there had to be next to the moving hergestossen. "The slowdown in the says of the move, and tear him apart", Buhler. This contradicts the meaning and purpose. On the Facebook page of Critical Mass, the accusation was quickly harassment the round.

The Veloumzüge the Critical Mass held every month in 300 cities.

As the police will assess the eye-catching, may street, disabled Companion this time? Bühler is nervous, but also confident. Because the city police has responded to the allegations. In a Facebook comment, I regretted the controls in the last issue, you were partially have been unreasonable, we respect this youth culture, it was said. In the same Post the links to the bot, to test the vehicles on their road suitability.

looks Like this announced on mutual respect, on the Bürkliplatz watch. Four police officers of a dialogue team to mingle with the velofahre nd. There is a Briefing. A four-member Töffgruppe the police are leaving, after a conversation with the Participant and activist Sonia Bischoff again. "I explained that it speaks of the idea of the event, if Motorbikes to ride," says Bischoff.

"motorists are relaxed"

It is now shortly after 19 o'clock, with about 600 bikes strong move comes in the movement. The bikes turn onto the Quai bridge, where the evening traffic is headed. To prevent cars mixing with the moving procession to block some of the top additions. Corken is the name of this activity, Corker are the ones you run. You stand sideways in front of a driveway and explain to the motorist if necessary, what it is. "The majority of drivers respond in a relaxed," says Buhler.

Bühler's consumption fireplaces leads the mass of bicycles, which soon occupies one side of the Mythenquais. Something is in the journey soon became apparent: On roads, on which usually, around the clock, the cars, opened the parade with a new perspective on the city. The phrase "We are not a obstacle for the traffic, we are traffic" is to be understood only in the case of travel on an otherwise velofreie main axes correctly.

The Credo applies to the Critical Mass parades in the world, held every month in 300 cities. Once the removals are politically charged and confrontational as in London, São Paulo or New York, where it bumps to together with the police. However, in most cases, your participants back in the community's thoughts to the centre, which is in Copenhagen, Prague or Zurich.

in the Middle of it – also on bicycles – the police

The Community has formulated a co-founder of Critical Mass, Chris Carlsson, 1994. The activist cyclist from San Francisco writes: "And so we ride together, ( ... ), elated by this unique euphoria that occurs when we displace the filthy stream of cars and of interesting and beautiful people are surrounded." From this newly formed community were "ideas about the possibilities of life to develop".

Typical of the Critical Mass is that it is decentralized, no one bears the main responsibility. And that much of it happens spontaneously. There is always someone from the front row suggests the route changes. And so this mass was at Velos last week on Friday night, sometime from the lake through neighborhood streets to Hegibachplatz. And from there, led them traversing through the chic residential district to the University. To finally flow in an in-between stop on the Polyterrasse in a huge Open-Air Party with the best views.

in the Middle of it – also on bicycles – to intervene, the police, the power to at no time institutions. "It was a very good thing," says an officer with a light vest. And Bühler-and-white: "The city police don't want these cyclists to the enemy." Fronts between the police and the participants, he does not see. "There are many cyclists in the city. And earn a spot," he says, while he sold his cargo area from cans of beer at Passing.

"Hello Velo!"

Despite the political neutrality, the claim for many of the participants for themselves, are also political claims to any Critical Mass. Zurich to testing cycle-friendly, will be, cars were banished from the City, it means approximately. "Hello, Bicycle!", it reverberates again and again – as a sign of togetherness. At the crossroads of some of the force signal by stretching your bikes with the wheels up in the air. Also, the consumption fireplaces have a political origin, the chimney smoked for the first Time to the Fridays-for-Future-demonstrations. However, in the first place, that is agreed, it is important to be together.

The move goes without a hitch. After the stop at the Polyterrasse of the driving pulls out at the end of colossus in the circle 4. The Zurich Critical Mass, the ride over the hard bridge, where the meaning of the Veloumzugs is particularly clear: to be able to urban space use that is not otherwise provided for belongs to now.

In a Protocol is to be read on the day after the Critical Mass, it was a very peaceful event. The group consumption fireplaces find. "For now we see again positive in the future," says Bühler. But in the back of the vehicle for a couple of weeks in the cellar.

Created: 06.03.2020, 21:28 PM