For Immediate Release: July 16, 1997
Provided through OPENAIR-MARKET NET
On Saturday,7/12/97 twenty-one plainclothes and uniformed police officers spent two hours harassing artists on West Broadway between Prince and Spring Streets. Among the artists confronted by the massive police contingent was a nine months pregnant woman artist and her photographer husband. The police issued numerous summonses, threatened arrest and illegally confiscated paintings, original photographs, limited-edition prints and art displays. Robert Lederman, President of A.R.T.I.S.T. and a plaintiff in the street artist Federal lawsuit had eight paintings, seventy prints and a Department of Consumer Affairs approved stainless steel art display confiscated. The police videotaped and photographed their own illegal activities without obtaining permission from artists or pedestrians. Police officers also repeatedly ordered confused tourists and pedestrians to, "...walk in the street", because the excessive number of police officers surrounding the victimized artists congested the sidewalk.
Business in local stores was completely disrupted by the excessive police activity and a street artist demonstration that accompanied it. Traffic was blocked for an hour by a large double parked hydraulic-lift police truck and numerous police vehicles waiting to transport confiscated paintings and polished metal art displays. The demonstration began as soon as police contact was made with the artists, who chanted, "Help Us Help You Dump Freed", made speeches denouncing the City's policy of violating free speech and accused the police of pandering to Council Member Freed, Sean Sweeney and their landlord backers.
At a strategy meeting in the basement of St. Anthony's Church on June 24th, a roomful of police officials including the Commanding Officers of the Peddler Task Force and the First Precinct assured Council Member Freed and Sean Sweeney they would eliminate SoHo's street artists despite a recent Federal ruling granting the artists, "...full First Amendment protection".
For more information visit West Broadway between Prince and Spring Streets Saturdays and Sundays and see why they call SoHo the, "Artist Persecution Capital of the World", or call: Robert Lederman, President of A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics) Phone: (718) 369-2111; e-mail<ARTISTpres@aol.com>; web page<http://www.openair.org/alerts/artist/nyc.html>.
Photos and an excellent video of the event are available. For background information see N.Y. Times Metro section 6/3/97 pg. B3 "SoHo Street Arts Triumph as High Court Rebuffs City", and Village Voice, 7/15/97 pg. 22 "Peddle Pushers-Community Officials Want Art Vendors Off SoHo Streets".