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Bikers Gather at Courthouse to Protest

Outside the McLennan County Courthouse on a blistering Sunday afternoon, bikers and supporters lined the streets, many holding signs that read:  “we are bikers not criminals” and “no more massacres in Waco".

The adjacent parking lots quickly filled up with supporters, and the booming sounds of engines revving. Officials with the McLennan County Sheriff’s office estimated nearly 500 people were in attendance.

Robert Currin, a self-proclaimed independent rider, is one of those bikers. He drove in from Austin and says the events following the deadly Twin Peaks shootout – the mass arrests of more than 170 people and the million dollar bonds set – are a violation of civil rights.

"I think we need to send a message that we are not thugs and thieves, we are motorcyclist enthusiasts and to lump us all together with one group is not good," Currin said. "That’s like saying if you’re Baptist then all Baptists are bad. It’s not like that. Yes, there are bad.”

The Sons of Liberty Riders RC – a group of motorcyclists who, according to their website, see themselves as “like minded veterans and patriots who also happen to be political activists” organized the protest. Mel Moss is president of the group and agrees that those who are at fault need to be held accountable, but he doubts that the majority of those arrested had any involvement.

“And for them to paint everybody with a broad brush, it’s like I said, we understand casting a big net to catch a few fish, but this is absurd when they put million-dollar bonds on them, when they confiscate their property," Moss said.

A handful of supporters even showed up brandishing long guns – which is legal in the state of Texas, where open carry for long-barreled firearms is allowed. They said carrying a weapon doesn’t make you a criminal, referring to the more than 300 weapons recovered from the Twin Peaks shootout, including 118 handguns and 157 knives. Authorities have released little information in the 3 weeks since the deadly shootout, including exactly how many people were killed or wounded by police. But regardless of any forthcoming information or the release of the remaining jailed bikers, Moss says his group will continue to work to fix their tarnished image.

"This is just a start, we're not finished by a long shot, until we see something change," Moss said.