Dear NYC Performers, On MAY 8TH 2013, centered in Washington Sq Park, the PEP (Parks Dept police) will

be giving out a promised FAQ sheet describing in detail the rights (or lack of rights) of performers in all NYC Parks. (see news article below this announcement describing this.) The Parks Dept has assured performers there will not be any enforcement actions taken against them. Depending on what it says on this FAQ sheet about the revised park rules for performers and musicians, performers will have either officially won their rights in parks or will have to begin a new struggle to regain them. Performers should make it their business to show up in Washington Sq Park in particular on May 8 in order to participate in this event and to get a copy of this historic FAQ. Please do not use amplification on this day. Bring a camera, tape recorder or video camera and use it to record anything that the PEP officers say to you or do. If it is raining still show up to get the FAQ and then perform for a while when the rain stops. Please sign this Petition and send it to ten people. Each signature is being individually emailed to the Parks Commissioner. Make the public, the media and other performers aware of May 8th. The Petition now has over 800 signatures and is filled with terrific comments by musicians, performers and their supporters. Sign Here: https://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-bloomberg-and-parks-commissioner-whiterepeal-the-park-restrictions-on-performers-musicians-and-artists Mayor Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner White: Repeal the park restrictions on performers, musicians and artists. Artists, musicians and performers are exercising their basic First Amendment rights in parks. The expressive matter rules violate these rights. The US Supreme court has ruled that: "Wherever the title of streets and parks may rest, they have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and, time out of mind, have been used for purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens, and discussing public questions. Such use of the streets and public places has, from ancient times, been a part of the privileges, immunities, rights and liberties of citizens." --------------------------

City Promises Clearer Rules for Park Performers After Busker Crackdown DNA INFO May 3, 2013 By Andrea Swalec, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer GREENWICH VILLAGE The city is fine-tuning its rules for where musicians can jam out in public parks. Amid rampant complaints from musicians who say public-performer regulations are unclear and inconsistently enforced, the head Parks Department administrator for Manhattan said at a recent meeting that buskers can expect to see clearer rules soon on where they're permitted to play. Parks Department Manhattan Borough Commissioner Bill Castro told dozens of concerned performers at a community meeting Wednesday that that Parks Enforcement Patrol officers who oversee the park will be given new guidance on what musicians and other street performers are allowed to do. "We are going to make it clear within a matter of a few days," he said. "You will not have a problem." Castro assured Washington Square Park performers that they will not be ticketed for performing within 50 feet of the park's arch or fountain, as they were in 2011. "You don't have to be X feet away from this or any of that jazz," he said. "You can be next to the [arch and fountain], as you've always been. It's not going to change." He also introduced a rule that will go into effect May 8 requiring anyone selling CDs to place them on a table 2 to 8 feet long. "You can sell those without a permit, but you have to get a stand so people don't trip over them," he said. But musicians and Community Board 2 members said they want the Parks Department to put all the policies clearly in writing, rather than enforcing only a portion of the laws that appear in print. "What Commissioner Castro told you is so opposite to the actual text of the park rules," said artists' advocate Robert Lederman, who has battled the city in court for 20 years over rules for "expressive matter" vendors. Pianist Colin Huggins, who has received dozens of tickets for playing in the park, agreed.

"We want to make sure there's something in the rules to clarify so that it doesn't happen again," he said, referring to the 2011 crackdown. Longtime local Gil Horowitz, founder of the Coalition for a Better Washington Square Park, urged Castro not to strip the character of the park by restricting artists. "Washington Square Park is magical, and we want to keep it magical," he said. -----------------------------------4/16/13 - Parks Dept Lying About Performer Ban http://www.scribd.com/doc/136741106/Park-Performers-Banned-Again 5/1/13 Parks Department Can't Get Its Story Straight http://www.scribd.com/doc/139113930/Parks-Department-Cant-Get-Its-Story-Straightfor-web Comments, questions? Robert Lederman artistpres@gmail.com 201 777-0391