Tragedy at Critical Mass Bike Ride in Porto Alegre, Brazil

02.26.2011

Not for the faint of heart, the following videos show an overhead cell phone video (via a Brazilian news broadcast) and the aftermath on the street (from an eyewitness) of a maniac who sped through a Critical Mass bike ride in Porto Alegre, Brazil on Friday, February 25th. The driver apparently sped through the crowd, attempting to mow down as many of the cyclists as possible, before ditching the car.

According to the Brazilian news, there were 130 riders. Fifty were hit, and two are in serious condition. The driver ditched the black Volkswagen Golf and took the license plates, and police have no suspects.

Here is a link to an English language translation of a blog post on the Porto Alegre Critical Mass page (or, if you prefer, the original Portuguese language version).

News broadcast with cell phone video of the attack:

Eyewitness video of the aftermath:

Tags: bicycle, Brazil, Critical Mass, Porto Alegre

http://massacriticapoa.wordpress.com/ Rodrigo

Critical Mass in Porto Alegre Brazil violently attacked by motorist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezlPXA_67-I&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqvlXfac_5Y&p=EDD509FCA9B71C00

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EDD509FCA9B71C00

Critical Mass Brazil:
http://massacriticapoa.wordpress.com/

OMG!
heltonbiker

I wrote the original (in portuguese) linked post. Fortunately, no one died, and the people who went to the hospital are already at home. But we plan to make a HUGE Mass next month, with at least ten times as many bikers, and participation of all people who want to go motorless. Keep in touch!
jackson

that is a relief that everyone is doing better. thanks for the update.
vini marson

And, also, the police does have a suspect (the owner of the found car)…
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http://massacriticapoa.wordpress.com/ Rodrigo

First person perspective of the incident, in HD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XL3g4vPK30&t=0m45s
http://www.4chan.org /b/

This was hilarious, best comedy of the year, I hope it wins best comedy at the oscars
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http://massacriticapoa.wordpress.com/ Rodrigo

English subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRgiIrHRoHM&feature=player_embedded#at=13
http://falacouk.blogspot.com fabiano

have a look at this… shame shame!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XL3g4vPK30
that’s the real brazil that doesn’t go to the news, stupid driver have to go to jail and stay there. scum!
http://www.bikejuju.com Bikejuju

Thanks for posting this important story that is getting almost zero notice in the English-language cycling world.
http://runescape.com tits

LMAO.
robert

wait wait wait, what?
you intentionally ruin someone’s day, when they’re behind 2000lbs of steel, and you’re SURPRISED when this happens.

On that day, justice was served.
On this day, not a single fuck was given.
- mick
  
  they show how mob rule works and the governments and cities that cannot do anything are impotent against any organized revolt. get a big enough group and you control the majority. The ones who break the laws are protected and we are suppose to feel bad that they are hurt. Hopefully when this happens a few more times the police will do their job of enforcing the laws that the majority follow.
Rider

The organizers of that CM ride need to reflect too. Deliberately blocking a city street without signs to explain their cause is bound to inflame tempers. The driver was criminal but the ride organizer isn’t blameless either.
Mandy

Yes, it’s completely normal, sane and morally acceptable to try to kill someone for ‘ruining your day’. We’re not expressing surprise Robert, you giant moron, we’re expressing horror. The world is full of fuckwits like you, and your mate /b/, who have no perspective. This sort of thing is not new. It’s just messed up.
Anonymous help

I know it is difficult, but please ignore /b/ and anybody else saying hateful and hurtful things. These people are trying to upset you. They come from 4chan, a website full of trolls. This website has an anonymous subgroup called /b/, which is popular amongst poorly socialized teenagers. They are a type of internet social cancer that enjoys hurting people, and they only want to upset you. Please ignore them; an angry response will recruit more people like them. You cannot reason with them. Ignore them and they will eventually go away, that is all you can do.

Everybody hopes the criminal responsible for this tragedy is brought to justice…
Arnold

To Robert and his ilk:
Get a f***ing life you ignorant troll. People dont deserve to die for riding bikes just as much as your mother doesnt deserve to be raped for being a woman.

Thoughts to those involved! I hope they heal up soon and the driver is given a suitable punishment of many, many years hard labour!
- mick
  
  that argument only works if his mother was dancing naked in a mens penitentiary. without guards. Trust me i like dancing naked women. But there is a time and a place for everything. I guess it wasn’t the time or the place for critical mass.
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iHateCriticalMassholes

Looks like the CriticalMassholes won here. Their whole intent is to piss off drivers. I guess they succeeded. Maybe next time they’ll realize that their illegal actions also have nasty consequences. I am not saying the driver did the right thing, however, the riders know they are playing with fire, and sometimes you have to get burned.
Nate

Arnold, people don’t deserve to die for riding their bikes. What they’re doing, however, is disobeying traffic laws, wasting other people’s time, and basically just being massive dicks to people who have to be somewhere. They don’t deserve to die, but it’s really, really tough to care about them.
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Jim Mcgill

These arrogant pigs go out and deliberately obstruct traffic.
They are known to heckle and be abusive towards drivers who toot their horns at them (which may be what you can see in the video right before the incident).
Critical Mass is a ridiculous movement that prides itself on frustrating drivers. They got what they deserved.
steveip

Drivers: 1
Critical Mass: 0
Augusto Silveira

This is absolutely insane!! I used to live in Budapest for a year, where I had the chance to see how Critical Mass is respected. I am from Porto Alegre, the city where that madness happened. And the police is trying not to blame the driver! Can you believe it?! Please help to spread this video all around the world among the Critical Mass fellows in order to help to punish the responsible for that.
James McMann

Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of self-righteous tossers.

This is the perfect result – no-one gets killed but CriticalMasturbators severely shaken up and they begin to see that actions have consequences.

I’m researching the next London event, and while I’m not going to run anyone down I think it’s worth an evening to fuck up your corking tactics…
Michael

Stop blocking roads and this type of thing won’t happen.
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Jack

LOL. Very funny!
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SanjeevT

Being a cyclist myself, it’s sad to see such incident.

While I condemn what the car driver did, at the same time I don’t agree on blocking a road, without prior notice and without redirecting the traffic, for any event.

It may mean the difference between life and death incase of emergencies.
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