Riders on motorcycles, ATVs hit South Florida streets for 'Wheels Up, Guns Down' protests on MLK Day

Motorcyclists, ATV riders hit South Florida streets for annual protest

Motorcyclists and ATV riders took to the streets of South Florida for their 'Wheels Up, Guns Down' protest that takes place each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

It's a dangerous demonstration that happens each year in South Florida on Martin Luther King Jr. Day: motorcyclists and ATV riders hit the streets for their annual "Wheels Up, Guns Down" protest.

Law enforcement agencies in Miami-Dade and Broward counties brace for the event each year, where riders perform wheelies and weave between cars, ignoring traffic laws.

The unofficial event has grown over the years, encouraging riders to take their ATVs, dirt bikes and other vehicles that are not street-legal on busy roads as a protest against gun violence.

"They can’t stop us," one rider said to WSVN during last year's event. "There’s too many of us."

(Courtesy: WSVN)

The Broward Sheriff's Office warned participants that they will ultimately be caught.

"Even if you think you may have gotten away with it today, don’t be surprised if you get a knock on your door tomorrow morning," Lt. Jeff Mellies told WSVN. "We have video, we have the cameras, we have the helicopters, we have all kinds of resources that you may not be aware of.

In 2019, more than a dozen riders were arrested and had their bikes confiscated.

"What we ask you to do is honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., honor your community, stay home with your family, enjoy your barbecue, enjoy your friends. Stay off the streets," the Broward Sheriff's Office said.