From Brando to Waco,bikers a slice of Americana

WASHINGTON:

Marlon  Brando played one in a movie
The Rolling Stone hired some as concert
bodyguards Today a top American TV
show stars them

 Bikers -and the  roaring rolling leather
clad motorcycle gangs they form are quin
tessential  figures of American lore
But  these  days along with that born-to
be wild spirit that emerged in the second
half the 20th century as a counter-culture
scream,come crimes like weapons and
drug trafficking,So the spasms of violence
when gangs clash,as they did over the
weekend in Waco, Texas

Members f as many as five gang turned
a restaurant and parking lot into a veritable
war zone as they fought with knives chains
clubs and guns, Nine were killed and 170
were arrested,

A group of  gangs had arranged to meet at
the restaurant and an uninvited  one showed
up,Among other possible  initial triggers
t the violence,a   gang member apparently
had his foot run over  in the parking ot,
Sergeant Patrick Swanton aWaco police
spokesman said Tuesday,

The Justice Department uses the term outlaw
motorcycle gangs  to single out ones that
use their clubs as vehicles to commit crime
such as drug and weapons trafficking and
cross- border drug smuggling,

Perhaps the  best known of the gangs, is
the Hell's Angels,in addition to drugs is
also involved in assault extortion ,money
laundering and homicide ,the Justice
Department  says,
AFP