On Friday, November 24th, as per tradition, cyclists and biking enthusiasts and activists will gather at the Skandà«rbeg Square at 6pm to make the monthly round through the streets of Tirana. The goal is to rise awareness among the drivers, convince citizens who wish but have not bought bicycles yet, and give a good example for an ideal ecological town.
Critical Mass is a spontaneous organization of cyclists which has been developing throughout the years in many cities around the world. Cyclists meet on the last Friday of each month, without anyone specifically organizing them, or taking care of the progress of the gathering. The group makes a long lap of the streets of the city, celebrating, but at the same time protesting for cycling rights. Critical Mass is a social movement, informal in the traditional sense of associations, organizations or businesses. There is no defined hierarchy, which means that there is no leader or person responsible for the group. The only organization element of the activity is the preliminary decision of the meeting time of participants, as well as an approximate itinerary to be followed. There is no official leader to take these decisions, but simply the voice of all the participants, who decide to contact each other and spread the word around the city. Often times the cyclists who are leading the group take the decision to change the itinerary, and are followed by the whole group. The Critical Mass’ gatherings are often called “An Organized Coincidence”.
