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National Funeral for the Unknwon Cyclist and First Pedal on UK Parliament (via Alex Raha on Facebook)Hundreds stage die-in outside Parliament calling for safer streets for cyclists
Hundreds of cyclists yesterday followed a coffin in a horse-drawn hearse through central London before staging a ‘die-in’ protest outside the Houses of Parliament to call on politicians to make the UK’s streets safer for people on bikes.
The event, called the National Funeral for the Unknown Cyclist and First Pedal on UK Parliament was organised by the campaign group, Stop Killing Cyclists.
The group is calling on the government to spend £3 billion a year on cycling – around a tenth of the amount spent on roads in England alone each year.
The procession left Lincoln’s Inn Fields at 1pm, accompanied by a piper playing a Scottish lament, and reached Parliament Square via Aldwych, Strand and the Embankment.
Twice on the way, riders paused to let emergency vehicles pass - first a fire engine, then an ambulance - managing to clear the road ahead of them far quicker than people in motor vehicles would have been able to do.
The hearse was followed by relatives of many of the more than 100 cyclists who die each year on Britain’s roads, with some among the speakers who addressed the rally following the die-in.
“Today we are calling on the government to do two simple things,” Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder Donnachadh McCarthy told BBC London News.
“We want them to invest £3 billion in creating a national safe cycling network so our kids can ride safely to school, and secondly we want the government to reverse the £80 billion of toxic fuel duty cuts to diesel and petrol.”
Stop Killing Cyclists was founded in late 2013 following the deaths of six cyclists on London’s roads in the space of a fortnight.
Its first direct action protest was a die-in outside Transport for London’s headquarters in Southwark, and yesterday’s event was the second time it had organised a National Funeral for the Unknown Cyclist.
The previous one took place in December 2014, proceeding along Oxford Street to a die-in and rally at Marble Arch.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- Destroyer666 2 hours 9 min ago
"...the beeswax-based covering magically shuns off whatever might be lurking in the corners. Even after multiple rides, when the bars rattled about...
- chrisonabike 3 hours 24 min ago
I've always wondered - why does the one-armed person in the cloak have their hand in the one-armed person with the cane?
- David9694 3 hours 32 min ago
t-boned
- Rendel Harris 4 hours 52 min ago
I didn't know the blue RA saddle was a holy grail - I had a 1986 RA bought new in 1987 with a blue saddle that lasted me very well until 2002 when...
- newbankgyratory 5 hours 2 min ago
Solution: Put these up everywhere. Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/traffic-signs
- Rendel Harris 5 hours 59 min ago
Glad you like it - this week was the first proper commuting week since I got it, 250kms nice and warm but not boiled, indeed - and when the...
- Rendel Harris 7 hours 32 min ago
As what you have said is demonstrably untrue, given that the event is organised and has been for the last four years by a professional events...
- chrisonabike 8 hours 1 min ago
Accessibility issue. Of course by necessity / co- evolution the Dutch generally provide a fairly "one size fits standard bikes" parking solution -...
- Steve K 9 hours 16 min ago
I'm there now too, if anyone wants a follow/wants to follow me. @cyclingtheseaso
- Shepton 9 hours 51 min ago
I totally agree. I used to commute through Long Ashton and only started getting agro from motorists when the pavement was made to be a shared path....
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14 comments
In the light of the most recent report into climate change I wonder if our government is living on a different planet. HS2, 3rd runway at Heathrow and yesterday the green light given to fracking. I'm afraid I'm very synical about all this. All these projects are worth billions, which comes out of our pockets and into those of big corportations.
Isn't the question more 'on what planet are the people paying our government living on'?
Ummm, I thought that was us?
It was amazing to see how many people stopped and watched as we made our way down to Parliament square. The horse drawn hearse was quite a striking sight. I think it made the point very successfully. The weather held out nicely too.
Town planning... I had the opportunity to walk round one of the numerous new developments near me and there aren't even pathways in some of the roads. Just houses, roads and parking. There is a new shop opened up to serve the estate and access by foot is non-existent - unless you walk in the road and through the car park.
What are they still thinking??!!
While I've liked that, I would rather add a sad/angry emoji.
I don't know where you're talking about, but check their transport/development policies, which I can practically guarantee prioritise walking and cycling, and then you could try taking action, but in my experience, trying to get a council to follow its own policies is much, much worse than banging your head on a brick wall. South Glos, is this ringing any bells?
If it is a significant new development, it probably will have its own planning documents and guidance, but they'll be based on the same council policies that are so widely ignored.
Thank you everyone who supported this ride, and if the government won't listen, you have to take direct action. Refreshing lack of helmets.
£3bn? Pales into insignificance compared to HS2 or the roads programme, and unlike both of those, cycling has an economic case, not to mention the environmental case. And health. And pollution, congestion etc etc.
Couldn't have put it any better. This Youtube clip of Chris Boardman talking about cycling infrastructure and attitudes in Holland should be obligatory viewing for anyone involved with town planning and road infrastructure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq28fU2AuMU
Thanks for reminding me of that vid, hadn't watched it in ages. I wonder if I could get my local council to play it at a meeting?
The benefits of investing in cycling are vast and they aren't just short term.
The health benefits, both physical and mental (and corresponding NHS savings) will last a lifetime. They are universal, regardless of class, race etc, unlike some ways of spending money.
By contrast, even after it is built HS2 will still cost stupid amounts of money to maintain. HS2, building roads and the 3rd runway at Heathrow can only make things worse for everyone, especially for tackling climate change.
But the people wanting to do those harmful, wasteful things don't give a fuck about climate change. No really, they don't. Not even a tiny bit. It will be someone else's problem. And when London is threatened by rising sea levels the loudest complainers will be all the selfish fuckers who fly everywhere, who drive fast and far, who burn the most fuel and waste the most resources. But they will have fucked it up permanently for everyone.
Thank you all those who were there. You also represent the many of us out in the shires who want immediate, real and lasting change for good. For everyone.
Actually I forgot about a car that pulled out from Llanelli hospital that I had to take avoiding action for to avoid getting driven over - I think I was in their blind spot - I'm not making excuses for them it's just this stuff is so everyday you know to look out for it or you wouldn't last long. All the other great passes made me forget this one!
Well I had a shocker of a ride around Carmarthenshire today - almost without exception on a 60 mile ride I was carefully overtaken by all manner of vehicles. It was as if the whole population had been on a cyclist awareness course. I even had a couple of cars wait for me before they pulled out to pass parked cars on their side of the road even though there was plenty of room for us to pass each other. I was uterly shocked in the change in attitudes compared to the usual. Obviously trafic down here in ruralish Wales is nothing like you guys in London have to put up with but I still have felt the need in the past to get my self a Cycliq rear view camera so my wife has some evidence of who to sue in the event of my death.
they probably thought you were a horse
Wearing a Hi Viz coat and looked like you were packing some heat?