Worth a watch – cycling documentary – if the streets were on fire

WORTH A WATCH – IF THE STREETS WERE ON FIRE (on the bbc iplayer)

I watched “if the streets were on fire” a documentary about how one man tries sets up a community group to protest gang violence and encourage better choices through cycling – basically getting kids together at risk or involved with gangs in London and getting them riding. They do ride outs, showing off their best riding tricks, wheelies, jumps et into London to the dismay of many people (not they’re doing anything illegal but I can see it slows traffic and can be intimidating – oh dear clutch those pearls and you know they’re teenagers with teen behaviour). Also this is certainly not every day either! These kids are doing something positive, they’re being encouraged (where clearly this is lacking in their lives), being supported and heard.

However positive and grass roots an initiative this is, it was a shame/sad/quite infuriating to see council people, police, fire and other “stake holders” – they kept pushing these kids out of London, effectively also dismissing their form of actual peaceful protest against the deaths and maiming due to (knife) violence.
Its initiatives like these that do need the support as they’re peer supported and because they are sprung from need and understanding. I could also not get away from feeling that a lot of rejection and dismissal had to do with black people and poor/deprived people and all its prejudices. Why can’t they protest like this!

I came away feeling yeah these kids should be heard loud and clear.

From a cinematic point of view it’s worth a watch too. And totally about how riding a bike and being part of a cycling community supports….