According to Forbes.com, Trek Bikes President John Burke is expected to issue a statement regarding the use of bicycles by U.S. police officers as weapons against protesters at the "Black Lives Matter" marches that have spread across the country. Trek is one of many suppliers of bicycles to U.S. police forces.

Such a negative attitude is unacceptable in the cycling community regarding transportation and recreation, which usually promotes health, happiness, and vitality and is also environmentally friendly, and Fuji Bikes has already moved last week to stop selling bikes to US police.

Over the past week and a half, various images and videos of police officers using motorcycles as weapons and shields - apparently trained to do so - have appeared online and in the media.

Burke, president of Wisconsin-based Trek since 1997, revealed his thoughts on the causes of the demonstrations in the U.S. in a blog on the Trek website on June 2 (opens in new tab), calling for an end to the injustices that African Americans often experience in their own country He called for an end to inequality and proposed a "War on Poverty Act" to give young people from poor families more opportunities with regard to education and employment.

According to Forbes.com on Monday, "Burke plans to make a further statement on the issue on June 8, but sources say he has no plans to sell (the bicycle supply to the police)."

Although not yet released at the time of this writing, the Forbes article suggests that the widely disseminated video of police officers using bikes, including Trek models, to subdue and intimidate protesters may mean that Burke is still prepared to take action. Additionally, many people have taken to social media to ask the company to reconsider supplying bikes to police.

The Forbes article also notes that it obtained a June 5 letter from Trek's Women's Assistance Program addressed to "Trek Leadership."

The letter largely agreed with Burke's sentiments in his blog a few days earlier regarding oppression and inequality, but also stated: "We have zero non-white professional athletes on our team. This is not a mistake or an oversight; it is a product of a culture that has abused and violently oppressed people of color for centuries."

Regarding Trek's supply of bikes to police, the statement called for the company to "completely divest from police departments across the country and immediately cancel its contracts and sponsorships with all police departments."

It added that if such action is not possible, Trek should "conduct a full independent investigation into the history of excessive use of force by the awarded police departments" and "make said report available to the public."

Last week, Fuji Bikes announced that it would stop selling bikes to police due to evidence of abuse.

"It deeply disturbs our community, our company, and the Fujibrand to hear of instances where bicycles have been used as weapons against people who have spoken out against the mistreatment of vulnerable people and people of color, and alongside them to advocate for change," a statement The statement went on to say.

"We have seen instances in the past week where police have used bicycles in violent tactics, which is not what our bicycles were intended for or designed for," it continued, adding that sales would remain suspended until they were "confident that real change is occurring." .