In a movement organized originally by Angry Catfish in Minneapolis, bike shops and groups across the United States are hosting memorial rides this weekend for slain bikepacker Alex Pretti.
Alex Pretti was tragically gunned down by unknown, masked ICE agents on Saturday, January 24th, while legally observing their activity from a distance and trying to assist a woman who’d just been pepper-sprayed. In addition to being a part of our member community, he was a regular at Angry Catfish bike shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, not far from the VA hospital where he served veterans as an ICU nurse. You can read our tribute with more details and ways to take action here.
In the wake of Alex’s senseless death, Angry Catfish, in partnership with Bonesaw Cycling Collective, GenoSack, Melanin In Motion, The Price Brothers, Unsanctioned Ride group and others, is calling on riders and groups across the country to ride in his memory—and the memory of the others killed by ICE—at 1 p.m. Central Time this Saturday, January 31st. If you can join them in person, they’ll meet at Washburn Fair Oaks Park in Minneapolis. If you’re not local, we encourage you to join or host a ride in solidarity with Alex’s cycling community.
Per the organizers, “Alex was one of us, could’ve been any of us, so as we mourn, all of us can come together in unity to remember Alex for what he was. A kind and caring soul put on this earth to be the light for others. Although his light has been extinguished by this fascist regime, it hasn’t been lost. If anything, those sparks fell and ignited something in us that’s been hiding all along. We are stronger together, and they can’t take us all. We’ve gathered together a community of cyclists to remember Alex Pretti.”
If you’d like to join in and gather folks in your area, please print the flyer and tag Angry Catfish on social media so they can share details on where your ride will take place. For readers who aren’t on social media, you can leave details about your ride here in the comments, too. We’ve compiled a list of the rides we know about and will continue to add to it. EDIT: with the help of RideWithGPS, we’re spinning up a map of rides. Stay tuned as we’re busy updating it and will add rides left in the comments (please add the time, location, and a link, if possible):
Learn more and share details on rides in your area here…
- Anchorage, AK (Abbot Loop Community Park) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- San Francisco, CA (Ferry Building) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Fort Collins, CO (Lee Martinez Park) 12 p.m. Sat (link)
- Boulder, CO (North Boulder Park) 12:30 p.m. Sat (link)
- Atlanta, GA (Woodruff Park) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Indianapolis, IN (Natural State Provisions) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Lawrence, KS (Cycle Works) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Wichita, KS (Bike Walk Wichita) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Two Harbors, MN (Cedar Coffee Co) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Cuyuna, MN (Red Raven) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Raleigh, NC (Moore Square) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Albany, NY (Woodruff Park) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Syracuse, NY (Clinton Square) 6:45 p.m. Sat (link)
- Knoxville, TN (Sunsphere — World’s Fair Park) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Marfa, TX (Presidio County Courthouse) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Dallas, TX (Harwood Park) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Houston, TX (EaDo Bike Co) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Austin, TX (East Side Pedal Pushers) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
- Seattle, WA (Westlake) 6:30 p.m. Fri (link)
- Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee City Hall) 1 p.m. Sat (link)
Learn more and share details on rides in your area here…
