Cyclists in Bristol have been told by police to move their bikes from some parts of the city centre ahead of this weekend’s Remembrance Sunday – or face having their locks cut and the bicycles taken away.
Avon & Somerset Police have advised that they will remove bicycles found locked up between 6am and 1pm this Sunday 12 November in areas where events marking the end of the First World War and commemorating those who died in subsequent conflicts while serving in the armed forces are due to take place.
In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, police in Bristol said: “Spread the word please Bristol people due to the events around the centre this weekend please don’t leave your cycles locked in the areas between College Green and St Augustine’s Parade, you should also see these posters attached to rails.” [ie bikes stands – Ed]
Spread the word please #Bristol people due to the events around the centre this weekend please don’t leave your #cycles locked in the areas between College Green and St Augustines Parade, you should also see these posters attached to rails pic.twitter.com/wpvinmw3aM
— ASPolice Bristol (@ASPBristol) November 9, 2023
According to the force, locks of bikes found parked in the areas concerned will be cut and the bicycles removed, with a spokesperson telling the Bristol Post that “this is standard procedure for events such as Remembrance Day and is done every year.
“These areas are very well signposted advising people to not lock their bikes there but, should someone do this, their lock will be cut and their bike removed to a location displayed on the posters.
“They can attend those locations to collect their bikes where words of advice will be given.”
But one person replying on X accused the force of heavy-handedness, writing: “For heaven’s sake, why? Will you be clamping every car that parks, too?”
25 thoughts on “Police force tells cyclists to remove bikes ahead of Remembrance Sunday”
It’s difficult to see how the
It’s difficult to see how the bicycle stands pose less of an obstruction without bikes attached, than with.
What extra access is actually gained, by removing the bikes?
I’d imagine it’s more likely
I’d imagine it’s more likely to be justified on the grounds of anti-terrorism than additional access? Bicycle bombs were used in the past by the IRA and bikes are still used to plant IEDs in places like Afghanistan; given the state of the world at the moment one can actually understand the police being extra cautious around Remembrance Day ceremonies this year.
That was my assumption, too.
That was my assumption, too. They do this every year.
Same here. There have been
Same here. There have been signs on Whitehall for years warning people against attaching bikes to railings, which are clearly not (just) about aesthetics.
And yes car bombs can be used too, but there’s no parking in that area either, and I’m sure someone abandoning a car there would be lucky if all that happened was they got towed. And cars leave more clues to ownership. Of course most of these policies were introduced when terrorists were not of the suicidal variety.
I wonder if there are any
I wonder if there are any other vehicles that have been used for terrorism..
Car Delenda Est wrote:
Yes, obviously if they don’t ban car parking around the event as well it would be a nonsense but I believe a fair section of the area around Bristol’s Cenotaph is closed off and parking suspended for Sunday – perhaps a local would know a definitive answer?
I would argue that the
I would argue that the restriction on bikes locked to permanent racks is only defensible if so.
Morgoth985 wrote:
I would entirely agree!
https://www.bristol.gov.uk
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/road-closures/current-roadworks-and-road-closures
David9694 wrote:
Cheers, so looks like they’re not just picking on cyclists.
Rendel Harris wrote:
That makes sense.
Under what law/rule do the
Under what law/rule do the police have the right to do that? Or are they making things up?
Why?!
Why?!
Also, trees will be relocated, kerbs will be flattened, and bus stops removed to clear the area.
It always amuses me in Good
It always amuses me in Good Morning Vietnam when Captain Haulk takes over Cronauer’s show after he’s been suspended and Garlick says to him, “I’m begging you, don’t try to do comedy sir, it’s not in your blood.”
Rendel Harris wrote:
Was there an issue with my thoughtful, cyclist-supporting, reasonable response?
Proof if there ever was any that a leopard can’t change it’s spots. You are a coward and a bully rendel, and you always will be.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Left_is_for_Losers wrote:
Because nothing can be allowed to stand in the way of remembering those who died so we could live in a police state. If we could harness their spinning in their graves we would have an unlimited source of green energy!
I wonder how late they’ll
I wonder how late they’ll leave it to “move on” the gentleman who sits on Bristol’s cenotaph every day with a Palestinian flag, loudly praying…?
What about that Edward
What about that Edward Colston chap? I’ve heard he’s pretty controversial and didn’t he used to hang around monuments? The police better check he’s not out and about giving it some hate (stirring it up and calling people out being apparently the prerogative of the Home Secretary in this country – examples too numerous to mention).
It’s ok, Suella will give
It’s ok, Suella will give them a rocket 😀
Where are British Cycling?
Where are British Cycling? Isn’t telling cyclists to stay home on major national occasions a job they’ve taken upon themselves?
I don’t see this as
I don’t see this as equivalent to telling cyclists to stay off the roads during the Queen’s funeral while allowing motorised traffic to continue as normal around the country unless they’re not removing parked cars from the vicinity of the parades/ ceremonies, only ‘parked’ bikes.
I wrote a piece about
I wrote a piece about Remembrance Day on here a few months ago, arising from guidance the Royal British Legion issued, following what sounds like a sizeable insurance claim arising from a collision with a driver. In short they’ve told local groups NOT to effect their own road closures.
It’s interesting that A&S police are taking a really active role: but they can’t be everywhere across the patch. Links below.
It’s pretty depressing that it’s come to this, but I think the Right have largely brought this on themselves, and all of this by stoking the rhetoric so it escalates such that this event becomes a flash-point.
There’s some pretty unofficial looking signs for road closures for Sunday have appeared in my village, and the next one over. My local Facebook whinger who always puts out dire warnings of sportifs (and some utilities road closures) is predictably silent on all this.
Royal British Legion: https://counties.britishlegion.org.uk/media/6540234/200821-remembrance-parades-policy-update-final.pdf
I think the unfortunate incident in question was this – https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/army-veteran-fights-for-his-life-after-remembrance-day-accident/
Have we got enough “cars (and
Have we got enough “cars (and the odd tank) in / on War Memorials” for its own thread yet?
Somewhere in CCIB there’s a
Somewhere in CCIB there’s a round-up, I did of CCIWM – there’s about one a year on average.