Melee erupts at farmers market drum circle

The farmers market is great for the city and great for the people buying the fresh produce but unfortunately it also draws the same "trustafarian anarchists" who think this venue gives them a place to hold their "politically correct" gatherings. And who the hell cares about these damned annoying drum circles. Go down to the beach and play your drums and don't add to the noise pollution of the downtown area. Oh, and the next time you need the police just play your drum and hope for the best!

Wesley Modes is a jobless bum. I hope the cops tossed his stupid drum in the river.

For actual info and real photos rather than police propaganda and blame-the-victim hate orgasms, go to:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/17/1...

and

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/17/1...

For background on the prior police seizure of public space, compliments of Mayor Coonerty's weird 15-minute Trespass Law, check out

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/11/1...

Vagrant filth! RUN THE SCUM OUT!

The hell it isn't about drumming.

If it's illegal to modify the exhaust on the car, the very loud thumping non-stop, surely disturbs the peace of everyone.

This area should be declared an unlawful area when one of these events start, and when they don't leave....swoop them up and off to the pokey.

This is non-sense that they are taking control like this....just go arrest the b-tards.

Oh, and Robert Kahn, (aka Norse), the trust fund recipient preoperty owning gadfly, of course is in the thick of it agitating as usual, as noted in the preceding posting...too bad he didn't get arrested with the bunch and hauled off too.

Looks to me like it's drumcircle 1, Po-lice 0.
The police went away and the drummers had their way, despite the complaints filed against them. Is this what's going to happen IF they show up to arrest a burglary suspect at my home? And I can't get over the Sentinel actually calling the area the "drum circle parking lot". I guess we already knew who runs this town. We've given it to the bums.

Robert Norse wrote:

For actual info and real photos rather than police propaganda and blame-the-victim hate orgasms, go to:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/17/1...
and
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/17/1...
For background on the prior police seizure of public space, compliments of Mayor Coonerty's weird 15-minute Trespass Law, check out
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/11/1...

Not sure what you're trying to prove, http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2008/09/17/100... pretty clearly supports the "propaganda" account - the police were backed up against the wall, confronted by angry protesters. As to the other photos, there is nothing particularly sinister about law enforcement being out on the streets. In fact, I'd like to see more officers out and about. When you threaten peace officers (and a crowed backing them against a wall is certainly threatening behavior), and attempt obstruct their work, you are interfering with work we, the people of California, have asked of these fine officers. If you're unhappy with a law or interpretation of a law, take your case to the courts and the people, don't punish the messenger.

Unwholesome degenerates! Worthless corrupters of peace and innocence!

GET OUT! WE DON'T WANT YOU OR YOU KIND HERE ANYMORE!

The UNwelcome mat is out for all vagrant filth to GET OUT OF SANTA CRUZ!

How can this be? How can conditions deteriorate into such a disaster? There is a solution, but we must act now, before this degeneracy spreads!

RUN THEM OUT! IF THEY WILL NOT LEAVE, JAIL THEM!

ENOUGH!

These rich, white, suburban-bred male drum circle bums have created a truly pathetic "cause" which wastes time and energy in a world where there is so much real injustice.

These brats would have you think they are "victims", yet are quick to turn violent and harm others.

How did they become so sad and pointless? Ask their parents.

The police clearly are antagonizing this group which has a tradition of gathering and playing drums and other instruments on Wed. afternoons for the past 10 years. They pro-actively fenced off the traditional gathering area for the past two Wednesdays, in a brazen attempt to "cleanse" the parking lot of "undesirables."

Ryan Coonerty is the ultimate culprit here. It was his pushing of the 15-min parking lot trespass law which has given police the instrument they needed to disband the drum circle. Of course the drummers are going to protest!!! So should the ACLU except with Rotkin and Sheila Coonerty on the board, it's not very likely.

Bigots like "Realist" and "Clean up this Town" leave no doubt about what they want to happen. They want people who don't look like them harassed and banished whether the police do it legally or not.

BRIAN WRITES: "These brats would have you think they are "victims", yet are quick to turn violent and harm others."

BECKY: Violent? According to the article (written SENTINEL style which means painting the SCPD in the best possible light) it says "As the officer was talking to Rusk, Modes, wearing a large blue plastic barrel drum, got between the two men and began using the drum to push the officer away, police said. Rusk took off running, officers said."

So the VIOLENCE supposedly committed by the drummer was walking with a drum between an officer and a man who was later arrested. At most he delayed the officer in making his arrest. However, at no point was any officer in danger, attacked, struck, or threatened with violence. Painting the protesters as "violent" is an oxymoron. More vilification. More propaganda. The issue here is a coordinated police effort to "cleanse" the parking lot of a 10 year old drum circle and the reasonable resistance to those efforts.

I wonder if the drummers would show up if smoking Pot in public was banned? Heaven forbid and God have mercy on their souls if they had been smoking cigarettes, the Farmers Market crowd would run them out of town.

Becky Johnson wrote:

The police clearly are antagonizing this group which has a tradition of gathering and playing drums and other instruments on Wed. afternoons for the past 10 years. They pro-actively fenced off the traditional gathering area for the past two Wednesdays, in a brazen attempt to "cleanse" the parking lot of "undesirables."

It's time for a showdown: law and order vs. anarchy and chaos. Which side are you on?

Did the Farmer's Market INVITE these agitators? No! They are useless, worthless PARASITES who's contentment lies in PERVERTING our community!

End this coddling of vagrant pests! Enough!

FENCE THEM OFF AND RUN THEM OUT!

It's not about how they look, it's about the noise. I enjoy the drums when I come across them occasionally. I listen for awhile, even bobbing my head and shuffling my feet, then, when I've heard enough, I move on. These folks at the farmers market cannot move on. And the drumming is incessant. I'll bet some of these drummers would be opposed to blaring loud music 24/7 at enemy combatants.

Oh c'mon. SCPD are not the bad guys here. Ryan Coonerty is not an instigator. You complainers just hate any kind of authority figure. There is obviously a problem and they are trying to fix it. Call your parents and work out your childhood issues with them rather than projecting them onto people who are trying to keep our town safe. Relocated the farmers market over to Capitola for a few weeks and then see how much you appreciate SCPD.

Hey drummers,

Improvised musical instruments is actually a neat idea. And welcoming musically unskilled newcomers is a generous attitude.

It's too bad drummers won't turn their volume down. And show more consideration in general.

Good musicians are well appreciated around Santa Cruz, so maybe -- just maybe -- others reasonably do not want beginners imposing ceaseless drum practice on them at 90+ decibels?

Apparently it's no fun playing somewhere unless you have a captive audience, so learn volume control. And don't treat downtown Santa Cruz like a toilet.

Maybe the audience won't mind you if they can talk to each other without shouting.

You basically have a nice idea, I hope you can make it work.

Becky Johnson is a bad person.

When the teacher says, "Be quiet," shut the fudge up!
When the police are interviewing someone don't interrupt them or walk in the middle of them. Police have the right to keep order. That is their job. That is what they get paid to do. If you involve yourself in the process then you only have yourself to blame.
Becky, you sound like a spoiled brat. Get real.
Would you like to live in a world where their are no police? Because I am sure you can find places that are less safe than Santa Cruz.