MIAMI – Streets were swarmed in downtown Miami on Saturday and reckless wheelies were being popped on I-95 Sunday.
Riders on ATV’s and motorbikes blocked traffic and weaved around cars in front of American Airlines Arena and on I-95 this weekend in what appeared to be an early start to the “Wheels Up, Guns Down” rideout.
The event happens every year on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is on Monday.
Despite a stern warning from law enforcement, more than 100 riders sped down the streets of Miami, weaving in and out of traffic dangerously as passing drivers did their best to avoid them.
The chaos has unfortunately become somewhat of an annual tradition, but Miami resident Ramon Hernandez said it’s the wrong place for riders to take to the streets with heavy automobile and foot traffic, and visitors on scooters.
“I don’t think they should be doing that because especially there is a lot of traffic down here,” Hernandez said. “So there’s a lot of people who cross the street to go to Heat games and concerts.”
Organizers of the event say its brings awareness and prevents gun violence.
“It’s just something that they made up to be doing all this crazy stuff,” Hernandez said.
Law enforcement officials said they will hold accountable anybody making the streets unsafe and are discouraging riders from taking to roadways this weekend, or else they could be arrested and their vehicles impounded.