Protest ride tonight after French cyclist on ‘Boris Bike’ killed in Whitechapel

A protest ride is being staged through the East End tonight after a French student became the first cyclist to be killed on a Boris Bike.

The demonstration calling on London Mayor Boris Johnson to provide dedicated space for cycling across the capital comes after Philippine De Gerin-Ricard, who lived in Bromley-by-Bow, died from multiple injures at the notorious Gardiner’s Corner gyratory system, near Aldgate East Tube station.

The 20-year-old, who was on a work-experience placement with Marks & Spencer, was travelling on a hired Boris Bike when she was in collision with a lorry during Friday’s evening’s rush hour.

Protesters will meet at Tower Hill at 6pm this evening for the 30 minute ride to Altab Ali Park organised by the London Cycling Campaign.

It includes a brief stop at the junction of Whitechapel Road and Commercial Street to pay respect to Philippine at the spot where she died exactly a week ago.

Philippine became the third cyclist to die in collision with a lorry on or near the Superhighway 2. Brian Dorling and Svitlana Tereschenko were both killed at Bromley-by-Bow roundabout in 2011.

In a statement LCC said: “We’re calling on all Londoners to join our protest ride to tell the Mayor to design our city streets for cyclists of all abilities, so no more families suffer the heartbreak of losing a loved one as has happened so recently at Aldgate and in Lewisham.”