Scenes From EastCoastin 2021

WhitePrivilege.jpg

If this event wasn't legally sanctioned by the city, and the main organizer was subsequently arrested on charges stemming from developments connected to this event, then why post photos celebrating the event at all?

Really? An illegal event that cost New Haven taxpayers many hours of overtime pay for the police department and your reporters choose to sensationalize it leaving the lawbreakers who participated in this rally with a pictorial souvenir. The accompanying article covered the "news." Please take this one down.

Thank you for the comments. We're not celebrating the event with these photos. We're not criticizing the event with these photos. A dramatic large-scale event occurred in New Haven that was the subject of considerable public debate and the expenditure of considerable public resources. Important public policy issues were at stake. We saw our job as showing in detail what happened. Not pretending it didn't happen. It happened. It mattered. Photos as well as words tell the story.

Sorry Paul, but your response makes little sense. The written story tells this story, these photos tell the bikers' story.

These photos are not diverse enough. Commenters witness to all races being there. Your selective photos are designed to paint this as an all-white affair so the sheeple can cry racism and white privilege. Aren't the NHI staff even embarrassed at this sensationalism and pandering? Maybe NHI should be charged with inciting!

Why weren't more arrest made? So this group took control over a road, committed numerous motor vehicle violations as seen in photos and videos and only two arrest made!!

CityYankee2,

The two organizers talking trash to police and mayor were the ones exhibiting the most white privilege. All the while insisting "cops love us", which I don't doubt in the least bit. Cops and "motorcycle clubs" like Hole in Wall have a lot in common.

Sorry Paul, I have to agree with the above commenters, photos attached to the news story make them part of reporting the event. Doing a photo essay separately from news story is glorifying the activity. Poor choice.

Dear SparkJames-I guess I can see your point...... in another age, we might have called mouthing off to the authorities "stupid" but this is the 21 st century... ( I still think it's stupid!)

Can't imagine why anyone would think photographs showing a bunch of exhibitionistic thugs behaving like hyper-caffeinated morons is "celebrating" the event. No more than all the photos of those bikers taking over Sturgess celebrated THAT event. Quite the contrary. it's journalism.

No tedlittleford, it's not journalism, it's a biker Shutterfly Book, "Scenes From EastCoastin 2021".

CityYankee2 … you really are reaching with your 2 comments about people of color being under represented in photographs in the articles. There were no local or state Black or Latino MC's repping at this event because we avoid illegal activities. We have our hands full just being. Also, you can't always distinguish a persons race by their complexion. And how many were in those large groups of people of color you saw while you were there … 100 … 200? Compared to the 3000-5000 attendees 200 people of darker complexion is a drop in the bucket so what's your point? I saw some dark complexion people in the photos. But this was not a DE & I event. We were not underrepresented. This was a mostly white event. And that's OK. And if you saw 100-200 people of color in the periphery like you said … well, maybe it's because that's where WE wanted to be … NOT inside this unpermitted event that was against the law and where one might get arrested. If that is hard to imagine, then it seems there may be something else not being said. The photos are representative of who the majority of who was there.

@sparkJames

So when Kerry Ellington and her followers went to the mayors house late at night yelling and screaming while blocking roads keeping his neighbors awake is ok. What about when her group marched up and blocked 95 then going to the PD and trying to force entry while throwing batteries and water bottles at the cops. This one day event cost way less in city services then the multiple BLM protests this summer. And not one arrest was made during anyone of those events. So where is this fake white privilege you speak of. Looks like the opposite when you look at the facts and not claim racism.

Know the facts,
I highly doubt those are the facts, but I argue that Black Lives Matter is a worthy and righteous cause and that the first amendment is sacred. Last summer we marched masked and distanced and if any emergency vehicle needed to get through we would happily oblige. On the contrary there were often threats from civilians that wanted to run us over for flexing our first amendment rights.

The nation has had many years to grapple with the problems in the American policing system.


Also- I did see those tricks with the gasoline fires in Front of Greek Olive (after hours) and On Scene Kevin was enjoying kicking off steam . Taking a break from his career as a first responder.

Shut that club down. Move them to Wolcott or Oxford. Great pizza for them out there!

Dear Hill Resident--- I did not say Black or Latino Clubs; I said people. I also referred to another commenter who noted such at the event. Please attribute WHAT I SAY to me. Read carefully and keep track of your replies. It has happened to me that I misquoted or quoted wrong persons.

SparkJames: Our First Amendment rights are subject to limitations on time, place and manner. The Supreme Court has specifically ruled that shutting down roadways may be illegal for any protest. The state may issue permits for road closures, but protesters can be liable for police costs for general traffic and crowd control, although not for costs incurred due to reactions from others to the protest. Moreover, states cannot discriminate based on viewpoint. Under the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause, BLM, the KKK, and Nazi's have equal rights to protest. This is the United States, not Europe, Here, we do give budding Hitlers the podium.
BTWS, from the NHI photographs of the BLM protests, there was no social distancing, and inconsistent masking. Many participants were shouting and singing maskless. NHI also documented and ran video of protesters flinging missiles at the cops in front of Union Ave. No arrests, presumably for the same reason there were few here: there were too many people and arrests would have provoked a violent reaction.

CityYankee2 … you are right … my bad. You didn't say it, you just 'co-signed it … TWICE.

posted by: MarlLow610 on September 25, 2021 9:01pm
While coming out of Union Station I proceeded to Water. Upon entering Water St. at the bridge I was forced to stop by large group of African Americans bikers. I then proceeded over the Tomlinson Bridge onto Forbes Ave where the event took place. There I witnessed a large contingency of African American and Latino attendees. For the reporters to suggest that this was a mostly white attended is categorically false! I witnessed plenty of diversity at this event.

posted by: CityYankee2 on September 26, 2021 5:38am
THanks, MarlLow610! Glad to hear that report on the truth of who was in the crowd because it sure was not on the news or the cameras were very strategically placed.

posted by: CityYankee2 on September 26, 2021 1:00pm
These photos are not diverse enough. Commenters witness to all races being there. Your selective photos are designed to paint this as an all-white affair so the sheeple can cry racism and white privilege.

I did misattribute the original remark to you. Probably because you commented on it twice that (1) 'someone in the crowd reported the truth, and (2) that the photos weren't diverse enough and the photos were designed to paint this as an all-white affair!

Perhaps my question to you probably should be – as the commenter did not produce any proof of what she said she witnessed, why would you believe what she said she saw and assume that the reporter was biased in his photography? I clearly see in the 2nd phot a Latino male on the blue bike and a Latino female in shorts center of the photo, in the 3rd photo in this article a black man with glasses in a red shirt, in the 5th photo a Latino youth on the stairway landing, in the 9th photo a Black male in a black shirt just over the right shoulder of the biker. But what difference does it make? Why make THOSE comments? Who's inciting what?

Yes, Hill Resident, I did comment in the thread more than once about it. Why? We are so racialized now that every incident boils down to race and others were quick to talk about the white privilege angle.
Why did I believe the person who noted diversity of crowd? Why do we believe anything that is in the media? You have a point there and I wonder how much the Ministry of Truth plants stories and comments to incite us. I tend to believe commenters and maybe I shouldn't. I wasn't there. I only heard the bikes and enjoyed their roaring visits to my neighborhood--- at midnight after a long day of cruising the city and terrorizing people at will.
They broke many laws and were awful to every area they came to but this is not enough for our city officials to do anything but cower and give out a couple of tickets. Lawlessness is the real issue but it will be clouded by race and no justice will be done. I'm sorry for that.

CityYankee2 - I agree with your statement' Lawlessness is the real issue but it will be clouded by race and no justice will be done'. But the issue doesn't get clouded by race until someone brings race up … and others (like us) chime in. Now if it's a fact (a mostly white affair) and relevant (not) then it's a relevant or irrelevant fact. This time it's irrelevant. It served only to distract from 'the real issue', and it becomes a problem because it distorts the narrative and shifts the attention to things that have nothing to do with the matter at hand and don't matter right now!

I'd like to think we both have better things to do.

FYI - there was a ride this Saturday by mostly Black & Latino MC's to Lake George, NY that drew a large # of bikes from all over CT & NY. I was told they had a great time cruising and taking in the sights! Now THOSE would have been some photos I would have liked to see but it wasn't publicized to draw attention and flex. They were just doing what most MC's do.

Thank you , Hill Resident, for listening and answering me. You have really made me think about how easy it is for us to get sucked into incendiary drama that maybe is not even true and I really appreciate that. I have to be more thoughtful and judicious reading media and keep focus on the real issues and not the distraction drama. Peace to you!