I see the annual biker fest run by the Hells Angels went ahead this weekend.
It was attended by more than 25,000 bikers. This, despite the best efforts of Warwickshire Police to have it banned.
The Assistant Chief Constable had claimed that there were public safefty concerns following the murder of Hells Angel Gerry Tobin on his way home from the Bash in 2007 and a fight between rival bike gangs in Birmingham airport. The claim was that these were reasons enough to have this well established bike show cancelled and, more than likely, banned altogether.
No matter what you think of the HA and other bike "gangs" this seems to have been a classic example of heavy-handed policing at best and at worse a direct infringement of the rights of bikers who want to be a bit different from main-stream society.
You don't need to be a 1%er to understand the lure of the "back-patch" and want to feel the freedom that biking brings. All bikers, whether "outlaws" or not, should be worried at these moves.
Well, in the end, the police were wrong and the weekend seems to have been a great success. The Bash has always been a top drag race event and this year's seems to be no exception by the look of the records that were broken.
And, that's on top of the custom bike show!
Check out the website here .
It was attended by more than 25,000 bikers. This, despite the best efforts of Warwickshire Police to have it banned.
The Assistant Chief Constable had claimed that there were public safefty concerns following the murder of Hells Angel Gerry Tobin on his way home from the Bash in 2007 and a fight between rival bike gangs in Birmingham airport. The claim was that these were reasons enough to have this well established bike show cancelled and, more than likely, banned altogether.
No matter what you think of the HA and other bike "gangs" this seems to have been a classic example of heavy-handed policing at best and at worse a direct infringement of the rights of bikers who want to be a bit different from main-stream society.
You don't need to be a 1%er to understand the lure of the "back-patch" and want to feel the freedom that biking brings. All bikers, whether "outlaws" or not, should be worried at these moves.
Well, in the end, the police were wrong and the weekend seems to have been a great success. The Bash has always been a top drag race event and this year's seems to be no exception by the look of the records that were broken.
And, that's on top of the custom bike show!
Check out the website here .
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