Among the bikers, at least two men who brought helmets with stickers reading “Support your local Bandidos Austin.” The Bandidos call themselves a club, but the Texas Department of Public Safety considers them an outlaw motorcycle gang. Bandidos members were present when the shooting in Waco broke out.
However, the day at Austin City Hall wasn’t about violence, it was about safety. None of the club members observed at city hall wore Bandidos jackets.
“It’s going to help everyone of us and I imagine our families are really grateful to have safer roads for all of us,” said Ty Yocham, president of Kindred Riders Motorcycle Club.
Yocham spoke with KXAN about the Waco shooting and public perception of motorcycle clubs after the shooting. He is focused on the good his club does.
“We’re very sadened by it all… Our job is to continue to go do our charity work,” said Yochum.
Among the dead in Waco was Jesus Delgado Rodriguez, 65. Myles Gonzales, vice president of the Cycle Stylez Motorcycle Club, said he was a friend of Rodriguez’s.
“He was a very, very close friend of a lot of us,” said Gonzales. “It was a very, very sad moment to hear that he had passed away. And I will never let it be in vain.”
“It was important to recognize May as Motorcycle Safety Month this afternoon,” said Mayor Steve Adler in a statement Thursday. “There are thousands of motorcyclists on our roads, and it’s critical to work toward safer roads for every person that uses them.”