NYC: Two Protesters Arrested at Union Square Demonstration

Thirty-Forty protesters in chef costumes banged pot and pans to demonstrate their outrage over plans to turn the historic north end pavilion in Union Square Park into an upscale restaurant. The protest was led by preacher-activist Reverend Billy, who was arrested along with another protester. Two Protesters Arrested at Union Square Demonstration

Last Thursday, Reverend Billy and another were arrested in Union Square protest

By Jacob Scheier
September 23, 2008
NYC Independent Media Center

Thirty-Forty protesters in chef costumes banged pot and pans to demonstrate their outrage over plans to turn the historic north end pavilion in Union Square Park into an upscale restaurant. The protest was led by preacher-activist Reverend Billy, who was arrested along with another protester.

Appropriately enough, one of America's most historic spaces of public assembly was the site of a protest in defense of public space, last Thursday, September 18. Between thirty and forty protesters arrived at Union Square Park to demonstrate their opposition to a plan to turn the north end pavilion, where Emma Goldman and Paul Robeson once spoke, into an upscale restaurant.

The plan, currently under a court injunction, is spearheaded by restauranteur Danny Meyer and supported by the Union Square Partnership (USP), a non-profit coalition of neighborhood business interests.

The protest, led by well known activist preacher Reverend Billy (AKA Bill Talen) started outside the entrance to the annual dinner gala event, Harvest in the Square, which was founded by Meyer and is sponsored by the USP. Metal barricades, guarded by NYPD officers, clearly denoted which part of the park this night was private (or public for those who could afford the $115 ticket), and which was not. On the public side of the barricades protesters wore chef costumes, distributed pamphlets and banged on pots and pans.

Reverend Billy walked back and forth, in his signature preachers uniform, screaming "Keep the public parks public, children!"

The protesters formed a procession and marched around the park area, followed by several NYPD officers. When the procession reached the fence separating the dinning area from the rest of the park, Monica Hunken, a member of Reverend Billy's The Church of Stop Shopping, led the protesters in chants of "the park is no dinner, we don't need a restaurant, say no to Danny Meyer!" and, later, “Hey Meyer, get that fork out of our face, we don't want no fancy restaurant in our public space!"

Protesters, such as Savitri D, director of The Church of Stop Shopping and wife to Reverend Billy, were troubled not just by the negative impact they believed the restaurant would have on the community, but also by what they saw as deceptive measures used to implement it.

"While the Union Square Partnership claims a restaurant will help pay for a playground, the restaurant takes away space for children", said Savitri.

Quite early on in the protest, the police arrested Reverend Billy, but the protesters continued to march around the park, banging pots and pans, and chanting. Another protester was arrested about twenty minutes after the first arrest for, say witnesses, throwing a pamphlet into the dinning area.

Savitri felt the protest was a success, saying "we got a lot of attention for the (public space) issue."

Indeed, a lot of people in the park stopped what they were doing to observe, and a few people, who seemed not be associated with the protest, joined the procession. Savitri was also pleased that City of New York Parks and Recreation commissioner, Adrian Benepe's speech to the Harvest in the Square patrons was, reportedly, drowned out by the protesters chants and noises. The Church of Stop Shopping website also reported that two of its members managed to get into the event and briefly addressed the patrons from the podium, before being ushered off by security.

In response to the arrest of her husband and the other protester, Savitri said it only illustrated the problem of public space being privatized, rhetorically adding "whose rights are (the police) protecting?"

Savitri said she was unclear what the charges were against her husband and the other protester.

The Office of the NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Public Information did not respond to this reporter's email, asking what the charges were and what the NYPD response is to accusations that the arrests were a violation of the protesters' 1st amendment rights.

When asked about the USP's reaction to the protest and the arrests, USP spokesman, Lee Silberstein, only said "the success of the event – attended by more than 1000 supporters of Union Square Park – speaks for itself.

In response to Silberstein's statement, Savitri said that having an event that stirs protest and then involves arrests "(is) not my definition of a success."

More information about the movement against the pavilion restaurant can be found at www.unionsquarenotforsale.org.

More information about Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping can be found at www.revbilly.com.

By Jacob Scheier jacobscheier@yahoo.com

http://nyc.indymedia.org/or/2008/09/100187.html