(This was originally published at Greater Democracy

With protests there are various measures of the success of the protest. Did violence erupt? Did the police keep things under control? Who is perceived as the good guys and who is perceived as the bad guys? Based on unscientific methods, I need to award round one of the Republican Convention protests to the protestors. Last night, five thousand cyclists rode through the streets of New York. They were greeted by cheers by many along the streets. About an hour and a half into the ride, the street started cordoning off streets and arresting cyclists for disorderly conduct and confiscating their bicycles.