For Immediate Release (1/9/98):
provided through OPENAIR-MARKET NET
On Thursday, 1/8/98 The Street Vendor Review Panel held a hearing in which more than 100 N.Y.C. streets were proposed for new vending restrictions. Street artists, food vendors, Viet Nam Veteran vendors and general vendors demonstrated inside the hearing and passionately testified against the City's anti-vendor policies. Michael O'Conner, Vice President for Operations of The Downtown Alliance B.I.D. was the sole witness present to testify against street artists and vendors. O'Conner showed the panel a bizarre video that purported to document congestion caused by vendors and which featured shots of a homeless man dropping his pants. B.I.D. officials from the Times Sq. B.I.D. and Fifth Avenue B.I.D. were also present.
While testifying before the panel Robert Lederman, the President of A.R.T.I.S.T. was physically confronted by Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington by Earl Andrews Jr. the chairman of the Street Vendor Review Panel and by a number of police officers and security guards responding to orders from Chairman Andrews. Washington and Andrews appeared enraged by Lederman's testimony and by a leaflet attacking the panel that he had distributed to the hearings participants. When Andrews jumped out of his seat and attempted to stop Lederman from testifying about 100 street artists got up and began chanting, "stop harassing artists". Eventually Lederman calmed the crowd and resumed his testimony.
Immediately before the hearing began, Washington was overheard in a hallway adjacent to the hearing room answering questions from Business Improvement District officials. When asked how they could get rid of First Amendment protected street artists and book vendors, Washington said that they'd first have to get rid of food vendors. Then, explained Washington, the street could be restricted to vendors protected by the First Amendment.
Video, tape recordings and photos of the days events are available. NY1TV broadcast a piece last night about the hearing and the confrontation. Copies of the leaflet, "The Street Vendor Review Panel" are available by fax or e-mail on request.
Contact numbers:
A.R.T.I.S.T. PH: (718) 369-2111 or (212) 561-0877; E-mail <ARTISTpres@aol.com>; Web site http://www.openair.org/alerts/artist/nyc.html; Postal address: 255 13th St. Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215
Department of Business Services, Street Vendor Review Panel, Rudy Washington, Earl Andrews Jr. (212) 513-6300 Downtown Alliance B.I.D. (212) 566-6700; Fifth Avenue B.I.D. 265-1310; Mayor Giuliani's press office 212 788-2958.