Drum Circle Approached by Police Yesterday on the Levee

Hey Rob!

It was about 7:15 pm Wednesday night behind India Joze on the levee,

15 or so drummers or so and a crowd of at least 25 people were accosted by an SCPD squad car.

It stopped about 50 feet from the drummers and crowd and shined its spotlight on the crowd. Police then advanced on foot towards the crowd.

I had already loaded drums on my bicycle, and was ready to roll away down towards Broadway bridge along the levee path.

Some minutes later, I saw an "unmarked car with its lightbar going" parked in a slanted position, blocking the driveay of the India Joze parking lot.

It looked like more than two cars were confronting the car. Not wishing to be harassed and ticketed, I left.

Peace... Dave



If anyone has more details, please post them.

The Drum Circle has been relentlessly harassed by downtown merchants and police in the last six months.

When I last visited the Wednesday Farmer's Market Manthri Srinath's Lulu Carpenter's coffee stand was sitting on the ground previously used by the community and the drum circle for their weekly festival and feeding. The gentrification and exclusion of poor people and community activity has nothing to do with traditional Farmer's Market activity and sales.

Previous stories:

"City runs off Drum Circle again, cuts down trees and cements AREA CLOSED signs along levee" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/07/29/18654907.php
"Street Performers Guild Meeting" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/07/18/18654177.php
"Sing a Song? Go to Jail" at http://beckyjohnsononewomantalking.blogspot.com/2010/01/sing-song-go-to-jail.html