Cyclists protest against driver who ploughed into Critical Mass ride in Brazil

Cyclists protest against driver who ploughed into Critical Mass ride in Brazil

2011-03-02 01:42:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

SAO PAULO (BNO NEWS) -- About 100 cyclists gathered late on Monday in Sao Paulo to protest against an incident on Friday in which a driver ran over a group of cyclists in the Brazilian southern city of Porto Alegre, O Globo newspaper reported.

Protesters carried white roses and lay down on one of the main avenues of the largest city in Brazil. They traveled the streets of Sao Paulo and called for more tolerance and a peaceful coexistence between bicycles and cars.

Ricardo Neis drove his car at high speed through a crowd of cyclists who were participating in a Critical Mass ride in Porto Alegre late on Friday, injuring at least 20 cyclists. The Critical Mass movement holds mass bike rides to call for respect for cyclists around the world.

Neis, who initially fled the scene of the incident, said he acted in self-defense to ensure his physical integrity and that of his 15-year-old son. While being questioned by police, he said that cyclists were banging on his car and he just hoped to get out of there as fast as possible to prevent a lynching.

The suspect is not arrested, but police said he could face a charge of attempted homicide, the newspaper reported.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 11,600 pedestrians and cyclists are killed each year in Brazil.

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