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And the Beat Goes On at the Cathcart Parking Lot
Most people consider saxophonists, drummers, sitarists, tambourinists, guitarists and other musicians in a drum circle alongside the weekly Farmers Market to be an enjoyable aspect of the downtown Santa Cruz cultural mix, however some people interpret this musical gathering as a noisy disruption to their marketing experience.
Shortly after the November 2007 passage of a Santa Cruz law that makes it illegal to be in a parking lot or garage, unless you have a vehicle there (and then only for fifteen minutes), police officers began harassing people for playing music, sharing food and hanging out in the Cathcart Parking Lot during Farmers Market. The Cathcart Parking Lot, also called Lot No. 4, is located at the corner of Cedar Street and Cathcart Street in downtown Santa Cruz. People both inside and outside of cars have also reported surveillance and harassment by the police while they were in other parking lots.
With support from the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra and others, musicians were able to bring the beat up a notch and maintain a drum circle during the Farmers Market on January 9th without any threats or citations from the police, despite their occasional presence.
Shortly after the November 2007 passage of a Santa Cruz law that makes it illegal to be in a parking lot or garage, unless you have a vehicle there (and then only for fifteen minutes), police officers began harassing people for playing music, sharing food and hanging out in the Cathcart Parking Lot during Farmers Market. The Cathcart Parking Lot, also called Lot No. 4, is located at the corner of Cedar Street and Cathcart Street in downtown Santa Cruz. People both inside and outside of cars have also reported surveillance and harassment by the police while they were in other parking lots.
With support from the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra and others, musicians were able to bring the beat up a notch and maintain a drum circle during the Farmers Market on January 9th without any threats or citations from the police, despite their occasional presence.
For more information on the parking lot law and drum circles during the Santa Cruz Farmers Market, see:
'Parking Lot Panic Law' Used to Disperse Drummers in Santa Cruz
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/08/18471154.php
'Parking Lot Panic Law' Used to Disperse Drummers in Santa Cruz
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/08/18471154.php
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from age 1 to 100, 100 people drum:
HUFF has been tracking the 15-minute law since the police first brought it to the Downtown Commission. The ordinance is most clearly used as an anti-homeless ordinance as it was crafted to resolve the "problem" of a few homeless people going into huge, empty parking garages late at night during the rains. In 2006, all four enclosed parking garages were turned into 15-minute zones.
HUFF went on record opposing passage of this law.
HUFF sought out the ACLU to weigh in on this loss of public space
HUFF went to the Downtown Commission last spring to oppose the 15-minute law being expanded to all downtown surface lots.
HUFF opposed and publicized the passage of the 15-minute law in November of 2007, enthusiastically pushed by Mayor Ryan Coonerty who says that its okay because "parking lots are not a public forum."
Now HUFF is documenting the social cleansing of the Food Not Bombs feeding and drum circle on Farmer's Market Wednesdays.
If you want to help us try to stop this stuff from getting enacted in the first place, instead of trying to get an ordinance repealed or declared unconstitutional after the fact, please come to HUFF meetings. We meet every WED. in the American Cafe in the basement of the County Bldg.
between 9:30AM and 11:30AM. Free coffee if you are homeless.
HUFF went on record opposing passage of this law.
HUFF sought out the ACLU to weigh in on this loss of public space
HUFF went to the Downtown Commission last spring to oppose the 15-minute law being expanded to all downtown surface lots.
HUFF opposed and publicized the passage of the 15-minute law in November of 2007, enthusiastically pushed by Mayor Ryan Coonerty who says that its okay because "parking lots are not a public forum."
Now HUFF is documenting the social cleansing of the Food Not Bombs feeding and drum circle on Farmer's Market Wednesdays.
If you want to help us try to stop this stuff from getting enacted in the first place, instead of trying to get an ordinance repealed or declared unconstitutional after the fact, please come to HUFF meetings. We meet every WED. in the American Cafe in the basement of the County Bldg.
between 9:30AM and 11:30AM. Free coffee if you are homeless.
For more information:
http://www.huffsantacruz.org
Just wanted to say thanks Bradley for keeping this issue in the forefront. It's so important and your doing a great job. Keep up the good work. Could you e-mail me you flyer pictured on the tree. I would like to post it on my Blog. If you wish to write a post on this issue for my Blog, your welcome to as well.
This law can only, as you know -- be selectively enforced, as all the laws aimed at the poor are. Public property is public property. Slowly they are taking away the commons from the common folk. By continuing to show up and play music in numbers, your all fighting back. Keep up the good work and the posts. The demons will always come out to vilify you (normally) anonymously) for standing up, it just means your having an impact.
In appreciation
Tim Rumford
This law can only, as you know -- be selectively enforced, as all the laws aimed at the poor are. Public property is public property. Slowly they are taking away the commons from the common folk. By continuing to show up and play music in numbers, your all fighting back. Keep up the good work and the posts. The demons will always come out to vilify you (normally) anonymously) for standing up, it just means your having an impact.
In appreciation
Tim Rumford
For more information:
http://www.humanityforhomeless.blogspot.com
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