4 Critical Mass cyclists charged by London Metropolitan police

London - Of the 182 people arrested during the Critical Mass cycle ride in London on the day of the Olympics opening ceremony, four have been charged.

Digital Journal reported on July 27, on the arrest of members of the Critical Mass cycling team in London. While initial figures said that at least 50 members had been arrested, the final figure is 182. Police stated that the cyclists were interfering with guests, who were attending the opening ceremony, trying to reach the Olympic Park. The video above was taken by a citizen journalist, as the cyclists were loaded on to several London buses by the London Metropolitan Police. Some members of the team were part of the Counter Olympics Network, who had called for an anti-Olympics protest on July 27, who asked cyclists to "peacefully assert the right of cyclists to travel safely wherever they want in London." Occupy London, part of a global movement is holding demonstrations worldwide against financial institutions and capitalist policies, said some cyclists were members of their organization. Steve Rushton, who is an Occupy London supporter and a member of the Counter Olympic Network, told Occupy London, “Tonight, the police criminalized cycling – cyclists were assaulted and arrested by the bus load. Early into Critical Mass, David Beckham was the first car behind a police blockade. When interest stirred about his presence, the police violently shoved cyclists to the floor and Beckham’s vehicle was the only one that was let through the road block.” “The authorities’ response – both earlier and later during the arrests – contradicts the idea the games would encourage people to participate in sport or that these are the greenest games ever. It’s ironic that cyclists featured so heavily in the actual ceremony too, while their real-life counterparts were being arrested just nearby,” he added. London Metropolitan Police had said that they were aware of the protest planned for Friday and had ordered the cyclists to remain south of the River Thames, to keep them from blocking more than 80,000 ticket-holders from attending the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Four cyclists were charged on various offenses (at present unknown) and the rest were released on bail, pending further questioning.