An ambulance carrying a critically ill patient last Friday was delayed by a mass of cyclists staging a protest against automobiles, says an angry senior member of the city's fire/paramedic service.

The ambulance was en route to St. Boniface General Hospital with a bleeding patient but was forced to work its way through a throng of cyclists at Westbrook Street and Portage Avenue, and again when the driver turned on to Tache Avenue, Winnipeg Fire-Paramedic Service deputy-chief Ken Sim said yesterday.

GRIDLOCK

"They ran into gridlock despite the siren and flashing light, they couldn't clear the cyclists," said Sim.

The patient, who suffers from a blood disorder, was originally being taken to Winnipeg International Airport, said Sim.

"The patient began bleeding so the paramedics decided to return to the hospital," said Sim, who wondered why the cyclists wouldn't clear the way.

The cyclists, part of a Critical Mass demonstration against the use of cars, disrupted rush-hour traffic by going through red lights and blocking a number of intersections.

Police issued several tickets and could be issuing more, said spokeswoman Const. Jacqueline Chaput.

"Why would they think it's their prerogative to stop an emergency vehicle. They slowed our ability to get a person to the hospital," said Sim.

But cyclist Marcel Lennon blamed members of the police bike unit of impeding the ambulance. "The only cyclists who weren't clearing the way were the police cyclists," charged Lennon.

Lennon said there are no organizers of a Critical Mass demonstration.

"Everyone knows it's on the last Friday of the month. It's just people going for a bike ride," said Lennon.