quote taken from stltoday.com in an article about the protestors-

Police took bicycles Friday from a group pedaling through Tower Grove Park. Police told the cyclists that anyone older than 12 needed a license to ride a bicycle in St. Louis, the cyclists said.

Link to complete story

First we have frivilous lawsuits, no we're heading toward frivilous arrests???

That is BS...

Mr Rogers -
Boys and Girls can you say "Police State"???

Jeez...

Bike License??? Pedal tax???
Next there will be a tax for the air in the tires...

I have heard the story, it does raise interesting points. In St Louis there is a requirement for a bicycle tag, a sticker I believe. The arrestees were members of a group that is known to affiliate with the Seattle rioter types. I believe the cops were trying to keep them from what was feared to be (but hasn't materialized) the downtown riots.
So, they were in violation of at least an ordinance level law. I do not know how they were riding their bikes. (I.E. taking up the whole road, interferring with traffic, running stop signs etc.) And they were known to associate with criminal groups.

Now compare this to slinging you AR over your shoulder (but not brandishing it at folk) and walking around downtown. You can bet your last dollar you will be stopped and told to get the hell out of there immediately. That is if you are lucky, I would bet more on confiscation and detainment. Of course your actions would be perfectly legal, open carry is allowed.
Would anyone out there be upset at tossing a gun toting loon in the big house even if what they did was perfectly legal?

A bit rambling here but I hope it causes a little bit of contemplation. Personally, since they were in violation of the law (regardless of the stupidity level of such) they should have to answer for their actions. Locking them up is harsh I think but I do believe maybe a fine would be in order. Just like it would be for everyone else.

There was a similar article in the post about a group of people staying in a supposedly abandoned house in the city.  Part of the people there were out of town protesters.  The owners lived there had invited them to stay.  The article said the police had been watching them very closely and finally had the housing inspector pay them a visit (no warrant necessary).  The inspector then reported suspicious items (roofing nails, chains, a whip, and torches I think it was).  That got them a warrant and off they all went to jail.  If someone in the government wants to get you they can find a way.  The article at least presented both sides.  Couldn't help but think that if it had been a gun owner they would have been painted as a right-wing wacko.  I'm not taking the protesters side on this, but I don't want to seen anyone's Constitution protections dismissed.

"Scientists and environmentalists gathered at the conference discussed concerns about the effects on farming of corporate-driven agricultural initiatives."

Hell. What are we protecting here? We're having the state protect a bunch of pinkos from more pinkos who are bitching about how they can't get to be the mao and tax us all the more THEIR way vs. a bunch of elitists and internationalists.

That bicycle permit is pure B.S. I have never heard of such a thing after 5 years around Forest Park. I would like to see them try that shit to some Wash U folks.

Slay and City Hall are a bunch of crooks. This whole town is a rat hole.

The bicyclists were from Critical Mass.  They specialize in obstructing traffic.

Ok, fine...
So they are pains in the ass.
be a pain in their ass back...

Instead of arresting them for frivilous reasons let the air out of their tires...

or confiscate the bikes, and make them pick them up next week...

BUT, licensing for bikes???
What ever happened to the right to property???

If the government is going to tax everything you own, then why would we ever want to own anything???

LEACHES...
BLOODSUCKERS...

If they were going to obstruct traffic, then all the cops have to do is kick their dicks in until they get on the sidewalks and not the street. Confiscating their bikes and harassing them BEFORE they commit a crime is not right nor justified in any way, shape or form. Neither is requiring a bogus license. That's the same sort of shit used against people like US when it comes to guns. The same should not apply to anyone else.

This is one time where if you see property rights violations, that normal folks like you and me should be allowed to go downtown to club the shit out of hippies and fart knockers that want to block our roads and damage property. It would be far more cost-effective and "just" than incarcerating these losers, especially when tax collectors have to foot the bill.

Actually, General Mao might form an army and herd both the hippies and international-socialists meeting last weekend into Busch stadium for an Uncle Augusto type revival. General Pinochet would have been proud of me.