Latest May 4 protest timetable

The timetable for the May 4 protest rides has just been released, complete with meeting points and times for people travelling from across Britain.

Up to 4000 bikers are expected to join the ride, which is designed to show the strength of feeling aroused by a leaked letter written by Environmental Minister Michael Meacher. In the letter, published on motorcyclenews.com, he asked police chiefs in areas of outstanding natural beauty to use all their powers to dissuade bikers from visiting the areas.

Regular visitors to the motorcyclenews.com News discussion board have witnessed the initial outcry against Meacher evolve into an organised go-slow protest. To find out what’s happening on the News board at the moment, follow the link on the right.

Protest organiser Christopher Coleman has sent us this update:

All routes will converge upon the M25 where we will as described in the initial protest plan circulate the M25 en-mass, it is not intended that we block the M25 a large ride-out will be enough to make it clear that there is a protest in progress.

Around the M25 there will be stop-off points at Box Hill and High Beach and an additional one at Toddington for emergency petrol.

Each stop-off point only lasts for 20 minutes. Anyone late for a stop-off point should just continue to the next one. Stop-off points are also collection areas for additional riders, and participants will be requested to leave on time and not to wait too long for late arrivals.

The routes to the M25 include (non-M25) stop-off points so everyone can pick up petrol and light refreshment before reaching the M25. You can join a route at any stop-off point.

We will arrive at the Ace Cafe at approx. 2.15pm for refreshments, but we do need to leave there again by 3.00pm.

At 3.00pm we will start the go-slow ride to Westminster where we plan to hand over a document to Mr Meacher and media organisations. The go-slow ride will eventually return to the Ace Café.

Route maps to the go-slow can be found at: http://communities.msn.com/BikersProtest/general.msnw?action=get_threads

Some people will have long rides to the M25 and may be very late or tired due to whatever. If this is the case then I’m suggesting that those people don’t take part in the ‘circulation’ but go directly to the Ace Café to take part in the final go-slow.

Routes are posted in several formats but it will be especially useful if you have access to Microsoft AutoRoute.

If you cannot get to the documents then send a request to myself (cn_nc@hotmail.com), and if you’re prepared to distribute it in anyway?

I have received a lot of requests from those wanting to join the protest but unable to use the motorway and my advice is to go directly to Ace Café and try to arrive well before 2.15pm.

Remember this protest is for all motorised two wheelers … don’t miss out.

There will be people acting as stewards, please follow their guidance.

Finally I will stress at this point that we don’t really want to attract the wrong sort of attention; therefore no wheelies, stoppies, excess speed, and please be careful.

This is what we still need:

*Volunteers for marshalling, especially from Chirk North Wales, Corley Midlands, High Beech M25, Ace Cafe M25, Exmouth/Taunton M5, Abergavenny Bus Station

*Yellow bibs, shoulder straps or armbands. I need about 15 or something with which to identify the marshals. If anyone knows where we can obtain these please let me know.

As time draws in we will be making more use of the MICR chat line: How to use MIRC,Go to www.mirc.co.uk (30 day freeware), download 6.01, install it, load up and type /server irc.quakenet.eu.orgjoin group #go-slow

You may find someone there who can discuss the protest, particularly in the evenings.

Please contact me, Christopher Coleman, for further details: cn_nc@hotmail.com