I was present at the meeting more than a decade ago, when an actual effort was made to “meet with the leaders” of Critical Mass. It was called by stuporvisor Michael Yaki (at the request of Emperor Willie Brown) as an emergency measure when the city was in an uproar about CM, due to baiting by reporters. At the meeting, it was made pretty damn clear by a variety of participants that he was off his rocker for trying to negotiate with a leaderless thing. He seemed to understand but pushed those present to say they would personally feel fine about a later Mass starting time and at least one other “concession”. People made it clear that they were only speaking for themselves, but when the meeting ended, Yaki let the almighty Press come in with fanfare and announced a “bargain” with bicyclists. The fact that he’s an idiot shouldn’t make us scared to continue our practice of saying specific truths. But it should perhaps make us think twice about trying to say them to people in power who we don’t individually trust. There are a very few I’d trust, and only if I have personal knowledge outside of what the media says about their deeds and words.