Street Performers Guild Meeting

The Street Performers Guild is an organization of street performers concerned about various issues.

There has been a recent focus on the police use of the "Unreasonably Disturbing Noise" ordinance (MC 9.36.020) to move along, shut down, and/or quiet down musicians and performers on Pacific Avenue during the day.

The claim regularly made by police and Hosts is that one person can claim a performer is making "noise", at which point the performer is threatened with a citation (with a possible $400 fine and a required court appearance), unless that performer stops performing and moves along.

Citations have been issued to Brent Adams and Tamorack the drummers in the last few months. Most recently Sgt. Harms has threatened to ticket Adams for "disturbing the peace" and other officers have demanded that drummers at the Soquel bridge Drum Circle "move along" or face citation.

Other issues being discussed include a regular indoor venue for performers.

Both performers and supporters are welcome at the meeting.

This description of the meeting and its priorities reflects my perspective and is no way an official statement of the Street Performers Guild. --Robert Norse