Domestic terrorists on two wheels?

November 5, 6:33 AMBicycle Transportation ExaminerAdam Voiland

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A domestic terrorist?                                                   (Credit: DBC)

I've heard that bikes have been used in terrorist attacks in Iraq and Pakistan, but it only recently came to my attention that the National Joint Terrorism Task Force has been monitoring cyclists from Denver as well.

As Denver's alternative weekly Westword has reported, agents have tracked and even raided a leftist group called the Denver Bicycle Collective for a number of years. In August, somebody associated with the collective was arrested for allegedly throwing a brick at the Colorado Democratic National Headquarters.

I emailed the bike collective, which helps people build and repair bikes for free, this week to ask if they knew whether or why the group has attracted the attention of authorities. An excerpt from the response I received is below:

One of the former locations of the bike collective was raided by the Joint Terrorism Task Force in 2004, and other people and organizations associated with that address have been targeted by intimidation efforts and investigations (FBI and DPD Spy Files) beginning in 2001.  As far as our research has gotten us (FOIA requests, etc.) it is related to participation and permitting in lawful protests, but not targeting the bike collective in particular. 

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