NTQ! Pods: Mass arrests during London's Critical Mass ride near Olympic Stadium

Pictured: Pavel Gaik, standing with a borrowed bike.

NTQ!'s Heather Turner speaks with Pavel Gaik, who was one of nearly 200 cyclists kettled and detained on Friday night outside of the Olympic Stadium as the opening ceremony unfolded. The cyclists were part of "Critical Mass," a cycling event that is held monthly in London and in hundreds of cities and towns across the globe. When some two hundred cyclists approached the Olympic Stadium, they were met by London's Metropolitan Police and transport police. The Critical Mass cyclists were kettled for hours and later detained on buses. Police later charged three of the cyclists with various crimes including assaulting a police officer, according to the Guardian. Pavel Gaik was one of the one hundred and eighty two cyclists who were detained and had their cycles confiscated.

Among the videos that have surfaced of the event includes that of a disabled cyclist on a tricycle who is pepper sprayed and man handled by the police. Transport police confirmed that at least one officer used pepper spray.

**Editor's note: this article has been updated. I originally refer to Critical Mass as a "protest" cycling event. It was pointed out by Critical Mass participants that the group is not a protest. Rather, Critical Mass serves a purpose of promoting cycling in general. The article has been updated to reflect this, as main stream media outlets have continually labeled the group a "protest." Apologies if my language was misleading.