It was billed as “Mash LBC,” a Halloween-themed bike ride for the anarchic masses. And spooky it was. Long Beach police pulled no punches as 100 cyclists were cited and 40 bikes were seized during Critical Mass' monthly area ride, this one in the LBC over the weekend.

While the LAPD has been trying to make nice with the sometimes rowdy group, known to blast through red lights and smoke joints in the open, Long Beach police appeared to crack down in a big way.

According to accounts given to the the Long Beach Press-Telegram, police set up at nearly the starting point of the ride and ticketed almost everyone in sight.

“We thought they were facilitating us,” said co-organizer Ronnie Sandlin. “Instead they pulled us all over and proceeded to give almost everyone a ticket.”

And that was the end of Critical Mass Halloween 2010.

Like we said, spooky stuff. Except that now the riders want to go en mass to police headquarters to get their bikes back. And they plan to crash a Nov. 9 City Council meeting.

LAPD leaders are probably shivering with relief.

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