Bikers ride to honour US veterans

epa04766551 Riders pass through the streets of as spectators look on during the Rolling Thunder XXVIII First Amendment Demonstration Run in Washington, DC, USA, 24 May 2015. The annual gathering first started in 1988. The riders who come from around the United States and other countries rally at the Pentagon parking and then ride through the spectator lined streets of Washington, D.C. EPA/PETE MAROVICH
epa04766551 Riders pass through the streets of as spectators look on during the Rolling Thunder XXVIII First Amendment Demonstration Run in Washington, DC, USA, 24 May 2015. The annual gathering first started in 1988. The riders who come from around the United States and other countries rally at the Pentagon parking and then ride through the spectator lined streets of Washington, D.C. EPA/PETE MAROVICH
Riders take part in the Rolling Thunder First Amendment Demonstration motorcycle run on Memorial Day by crossing the Memorial Bridge leading from Arlington Cemetery into Washington May 24, 2015. The organizers of the annual event seek to highlight U.S. armed forces members believed to be prisoners of war or missing in action (POW-MIA). REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Riders take part in the Rolling Thunder First Amendment Demonstration motorcycle run on Memorial Day by crossing the Memorial Bridge leading from Arlington Cemetery into Washington May 24, 2015. The organizers of the annual event seek to highlight U.S. armed forces members believed to be prisoners of war or missing in action (POW-MIA). REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
U.S. Air Force veteran James Cloyes of Columbus, Ohio, salutes riders taking part in the Rolling Thunder First Amendment Demonstration motorcycle run on Memorial Day by crossing the Memorial Bridge leading from Arlington Cemetery into Washington May 24, 2015. The organizers of the annual event seek to highlight U.S. armed forces members believed to be prisoners of war or missing in action (POW-MIA). REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
epa04766550 Retired Marine Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers salutes the riders as they pass during the Rolling Thunder XXVIII First Amendment Demonstration Motorcycle Run in Washington, DC, USA, 24 May 2015. Chambers has been saluting all the riders since 2002. The annual Rolling Thunder gathering first started in 1988. The riders who come from around the United States and other countries rally at the Pentagon parking and then ride through the spectator lined streets of Washington, D.C. EPA/PETE MAROVICH
Participants in the Rolling Thunder annual motorcycle rally ride past Arlington memorial bridge during the parade ahead of Memorial Day in Washington, Sunday, May 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
epa04766542 Riders pass through the streets of as spectators look on during the Rolling Thunder XXVIII First Amendment Demonstration Run in Washington, DC, USA, 24 May 2015. The annual gathering first started in 1988. The riders who come from around the United States and other countries rally at the Pentagon parking and then ride through the spectator lined streets of Washington, D.C. EPA/PETE MAROVICH
epa04766423 Spectators look on as riders pass during the Rolling Thunder XXVIII First Amendment Demonstration Run in Washington, DC, USA, 24 May 2015. The annual gathering first started in 1988. The riders who come from around the United States and other countries rally at the Pentagon parking and then ride through the spectator lined streets of Washington, D.C. EPA/PETE MAROVICH

Published May 25, 2015

By John Clarke

Washington DC - Just seven days after a gathering of biker gangs in Texas that resulted in nine deaths and 170 arrests, thousands of riders roared into the nation's capital on Sunday to honour military veterans, prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.

Rolling Thunder, an annual event that has been bringing motorcyclists and spectators to the National Mall in downtown Washington since 1988, started the “Ride for Freedom” at the Pentagon in Virginia, crossed the Potomac River over the Memorial Bridge and circled the Mall.

Organisers estimated that more than a million riders and spectators attended, making it the largest one-day motorcycle gathering in the world.

Rolling Thunder spokeswoman Nancy Regg said there were no reported criminal incidents at the even.

“They're not here to party and get drunk,” she said of Rolling Thunder, named after a 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam. “No fights. No attitudes.”

Crowds cheered and waved as bikers throttled their engines and waved back. Many bikers rode with US or Prisoner of War flags. A few rode with Confederate flags.

Bikers and veterans could be found scattered throughout the National Mall. Many gathered at the Vietnam and Korean War memorials. Some relaxed in the shade and drank beer.

‘NEVER FORGET’

A stage below the Lincoln Memorial hosted speakers and musicians, including former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, singer Nancy Sinatra and actor Robert Patrick.

“I thank you for your service and I thank you for my freedom,” Patrick told the crowd. “Each and every one of you are the real deal.”

Throughout the day, at the edge of the stage, a scrawny, bearded man in tattered fatigues sat locked in a bamboo cage holding a sign reading “Never Forget”.

Sunday's ride was part of a weekend of events that included a “blessing of the bikes” outside the National Cathedral and a day-long barbecue hosted by Harley-Davidson.

There were several other biker events across the country planned for the Memorial Day weekend, with rallies in New Mexico, Mississippi, Missouri and South Carolina being held with heightened security.

Reuters

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