Bike Barricades: Using Cycles for Crowd Control at the Republican National Convention

CLEVELAND -- Just minutes after a protester lit a flag on fire on Wednesday outside the security gate of the Republican National Convention, over a hundred bicycle police stormed into the area. They used the metal frames of the cycles as temporary barricades against the crowd of protesters and media.

It was the most dramatic confrontation seen this week. Seventeen protesters were arrested Wednesday afternoon during an attempted flag-burning, authorities said. Most were charged with inciting to violence, while two were charged with assaulting an officer.

Bicycle police have emerged as the primary means of containing the nearby crowds. Here in Cleveland, two wheels have largely replaced four-legged horses as the first line of defense against crowds on the street.

Nearly 200 police officers pedal around the perimeter of the Quicken Loans Arena in search of unusual activity and unruly crowds. About half of this force was brought in from other cities just for the convention.

They use a series of carefully coordinated tactics to create temporary bicycle barricades, cutting off rowdy crowds and isolating those who might be inciting violence.

In less than an hour, the crowds had largely dispersed. These bicycle patrols remain at the ready today, patrolling for any major protests before Donald Trump’s speech planned for tonight.