Police are worried about the possibility of rival motorcycle
gangs getting into a serious fight during this year’s Hollister
Independence Rally. Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said there
have been rumblings that more members of the Hells Angels and
Mongols will attend than usual and will be flying their colors.
Police are worried about the possibility of rival motorcycle gangs getting into a serious fight during this year’s Hollister Independence Rally. Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said there have been rumblings that more members of the Hells Angels and Mongols will attend than usual and will be flying their colors.
“We’re treating the possibility of confrontation very seriously, more so than any other years,” Miller said.
The Mongols and the Hells Angels are the same two groups that caused a riot during the Laughlin River Run motorcycle rally in Nevada in 2002 – a confrontation that ended with multiple shootings and stabbings.
We hope that it is just a lot of talk, and that the leaders of the motorcycle clubs – the area chapter leaders live just miles away from each other in Hollister – will enjoy the Rally for what it is. This is a fun-filled event dedicated to motorcycles, the mythology of Marlon Brando and the movie “The Wild One” and having a good time. That’s what draws more than 100,000 people to Hollister each year, and that’s what everybody’s focus should be – having fun and showing off their tricked-out bikes.
A brawl on the streets of downtown Hollister could jeopardize the entire Rally. That would be a shame because the Rally is Hollister’s marquee event and it gives our town more recognition than any other single event. It’s our best marketing tool, and the Independence Day weekend is a boon for local businesses that cash in on all the money the bikers bring with them. To lose the Rally would be a blow to Hollister, and we hope the local leaders of these two motorcycle clubs realize that.
We have confidence that the officers who are keeping the peace at this event will be friendly and low-key while doing what they must to ensure this Rally is as safe and fun as it has been in the past.
The bottom line is, if everyone is here to have a good time, the Rally will be a success. That’s what we all should be striving for, and what we have confidence will happen this weekend.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, The Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or e-mail to [email protected].
