Time's Up!

Group: Time's Up!

Purpose: "To anyone involved in New York City activism, after the war started there was an understanding that the RNC would be an extraordinary opportunity to be heard," says Brandon Neubauer, an organizer for the all-volunteer direct-action environmental group Time's Up! "We'll use that opportunity to promote our message in a positive, celebratory way." That message includes envisioning a more sustainable, environmentally aware city, supporting community gardens, educating people about green shopping and solar power, and, especially, promoting bikes as a clean transportation alternative.

Events: Time's Up! hosts 10 to 25 rides a month in all five boroughs (the schedule can be found on their website), but for the convention, they have several things planned. The week of August 20 to 28, they'll be hosting the Bike National Convention, which will bring together cycling enthusiasts from all over the country. They'll also be providing radical history biking tours of the Lower East Side featuring squats, community gardens, and other points of interest. At the convention site itself, Time's Up! will create "bike blocks," where Neubauer says the group will use "critical mass–style tactics to raise people's spirits and Bronx cheer [delegates], and hand out pamphlets." Time's Up! cyclists will also act as the eyes and ears of the protests. "When you're on the street and needing to know what's going on, people on bikes always know what's going on," says Neubauer.

Joining Up: "We'd love any activist or bicycling enthusiast to get involved," says Neubauer. You can find out about Time's Up! events on their website or by calling 212-802-8222 or e-mailing timesup@theory.org. "Be enthusiastic," Neubauer implores potential supporters. "What we're doing isn't about confronting cops. We're promoting a positive, sustainable mode of transportation and envisioning the city as we'd like to see it."