Bikers, ATV riders weave through Miami-Dade County’s rush-hour traffic ahead of MLK Day
Despite earlier warnings from police of “zero tolerance” for individuals participating in mass motorcycle and off-road vehicle rides through Miami-Dade County in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, a coordinated outfit of about 40 riders faced little resistance Friday as they performed stunts on Interstate 95 and weaved through oncoming traffic.
Aerial footage from TV crews Friday evening showed motorcyclists and ATV riders leisurely riding through North Miami-Dade County, swinging by downtown Miami and heading northbound on I-95, presumably in anticipation of the annual “Bikes Up, Guns Down” (or “Wheels Up, Guns Down”) demonstration that coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. The event, which began four years ago, is meant as a civil rights and anti-gun-violence demonstration.
They took off around 6 p.m. and were headed north on Northwest 27th Avenue as of 6:45 p.m. TV crews lost visuals on the group just before 7 p.m.
Videos posted to social media showed participants riding very close to other vehicles and violating traffic laws.
TV cameras did capture one rider losing control of his all-terrain vehicle, which crashed into a bush near the corner of Northwest 27th Avenue and 132nd Street The rider, who was quickly approached by police cruisers, abandoned the vehicle and hopped aboard one of his friends’ rides.
Multiple law enforcement agencies warned this week against participating in the unsanctioned event, but rush-hour drivers couldn’t help but notice the mostly young riders hanging off their vehicles and performing wheelies as they maneuvered through traffic in a choreographed mass.
The riders did face frustrated law enforcement at a Sunoco gas station on Northwest 119th Street, where some riders congregated for several minutes before being shooed away. It’s unclear if any arrests were made Friday evening, but Miami-Dade police announced earlier this week that 38 ATVs and dirt bikes had been towed, 29 citations had been written and multiple arrests had been made in anticipation of this weekend’s festivities.
On Sunday night, an ATV rider in North Miami-Dade was severely injured after a crash with a car, WSVN-7 reported.
During a press conference in Miami-Dade County last week, Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Joe Sanchez said participants in the annual ride “are putting their lives as well as others in danger.”
“Let it be known law enforcement will be out there to ensure that they will be cited, arrested and their bikes will be seized,” Sanchez said.
This story was originally published January 18, 2019 at 7:34 PM.