Dear Mom, I've Joined a Guerilla Bike Collective
September 2, 2020 10:54 AM Subscribe
Graphic artist Natalie Dupille does a comic strip on how a white woman with a bike can be an ally to BLM protesters, without sugarcoating the discomfort and danger (SLStranger).
Interesting post, thanks. Tessa Hulls is an artist I've been following, who posted some comics journalism (Instagram) of what has been happening at the BLM protests in Capitol Hill, these last few months.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:46 AM on September 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:46 AM on September 2, 2020 [2 favorites]
There's an interesting subtext here about the way driving seems turn people to a state of nature that, when it interacts with the inconvenience imposed (by design) by protests leads to some pretty serious consequences: a car is both anonymizing and desocializing and a dangerous weapon. Cyclists are already very familiar with this phenomenon. But in these situations... whoa. These are courageous people.
posted by klanawa at 4:21 PM on September 2, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by klanawa at 4:21 PM on September 2, 2020 [7 favorites]
This is a great comic. I love how people are finding so many novel ways to contribute to the cause(s).
posted by stripesandplaid at 3:52 AM on September 3, 2020
posted by stripesandplaid at 3:52 AM on September 3, 2020
I did not know about this (the bike brigades). it's great.
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:18 AM on September 3, 2020
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:18 AM on September 3, 2020
It's a lovely comic.
(Is anyone else irrationally disturbed by the heart-shaped-wheels on the bicycle at the bottom? I know it's just an illustration, I know it's a metaphor - and at the same time, I'm looking at them and viscerally feeling the bumpity-bumptity-bump of trying to ride on them.)
posted by jb at 9:14 AM on September 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
(Is anyone else irrationally disturbed by the heart-shaped-wheels on the bicycle at the bottom? I know it's just an illustration, I know it's a metaphor - and at the same time, I'm looking at them and viscerally feeling the bumpity-bumptity-bump of trying to ride on them.)
posted by jb at 9:14 AM on September 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
Great comic and collective!
(Also, yes to the non-round wheels causing mild irrational disturbance)
posted by Glinn at 11:07 AM on September 3, 2020
(Also, yes to the non-round wheels causing mild irrational disturbance)
posted by Glinn at 11:07 AM on September 3, 2020
I love these folks!
They showed up at one of our small protests up in north Seattle. They formed a bicycle barricade to block the street while we marched and chanted, they were stationed along the perimeter of the park while folks were speaking. They were very organized, and I felt safe.
During that one event (~2 hours), there was a woman threatening people with a golf club from her lawn as we marched by, as well as a few men who were yelling, trying to get into the park to start shit while speakers were talking, but they left when confronted by the brigade, and a few of them followed those men all the way past the park until they were actually gone.
All of this because a black teen confronted a neighbor about why their "Blue Lives Matter" sign was problematic, somebody else overheard and became enraged, threatened to lynch her, and tried to run her over with a car. She organized the protest in response.
I regret that this is all necessary. I wish some people's response to white fragility wasn't attempted homicide, but I'm grateful for their work enabling people to focus on what matters.
posted by Feyala at 9:35 PM on September 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
They showed up at one of our small protests up in north Seattle. They formed a bicycle barricade to block the street while we marched and chanted, they were stationed along the perimeter of the park while folks were speaking. They were very organized, and I felt safe.
During that one event (~2 hours), there was a woman threatening people with a golf club from her lawn as we marched by, as well as a few men who were yelling, trying to get into the park to start shit while speakers were talking, but they left when confronted by the brigade, and a few of them followed those men all the way past the park until they were actually gone.
All of this because a black teen confronted a neighbor about why their "Blue Lives Matter" sign was problematic, somebody else overheard and became enraged, threatened to lynch her, and tried to run her over with a car. She organized the protest in response.
I regret that this is all necessary. I wish some people's response to white fragility wasn't attempted homicide, but I'm grateful for their work enabling people to focus on what matters.
posted by Feyala at 9:35 PM on September 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
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At that time I also had a conversation with my mother about joining the bike brigade; she was pressuring me to stay away from the protests. I think it's time for me to rejoin them. Thanks for posting!
posted by Behemoth, in no. 302-bis, with the Browning at 11:37 AM on September 2, 2020 [6 favorites]