Police Release Edward Snowden Sculpture Confiscated in Fort Greene Park

The NYPD returned the sculpture of Edward Snowden that was placed in Fort Greene Park in the early morning hours of April 6, 2015.  This afternoon volunteers moved the 100 pound bust from a police van at the NYPD property facility in Queens.  (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on images to enlarge

City-Wide

The sculpture of Edward Snowden placed on the perimeter of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Fort Greene Park in the early morning hours of April 6, 2015, has been returned to the attorney for the artists, Ronald L. Kuby. 

The bust was retrieved this afternoon from the NYPD Property facility in Queens after being stored in the Bronx. 

The sculpture and plastic name tag in the police van.

The sculpture was removed by Parks officials after being on exhibit in the park after only a few hours. It was then detained by the NYPD.   

Pursuant to an agreement with the City, the two artists received civil summonses from the Environmental Control Board for the civil offense of being in the park after hours.  

They were assessed the standard fine of $50.00 each.  According to Kuby, the fine will be paid promptly to avoid incurring substantial late fees.

"We are pleased that we could resolve this matter without litigation, and appreciate the City's commitment to artistic expression, even thought the artists failed to dot every "i" and cross every "t" when initially erecting their sculpture," Kuby said.  

The bust secured in the police van. 

The artists will submit an application to legally exhibit the sculpture through the Parks Department's Art in the Parks initiative,  a 45-year-old program that exhibits artwork temporary work in city parks throughout the city.   

"We are thrilled the statue has been released for public viewing," the artists said in statement.

"The goal of this project has always been to help the public have an important national debate about mass surveillance. It is challenging to care enough to think critically about the revelations of a person much of the media has labeled a "traitor". Our instinct is to associate all actions of that person as being wrong. This short changes us all, because it does not allow us the space to make up our own minds. The statue aims to offer an alternative perspective to the media's previous characterization of Snowden - giving us the space to consider a debate over the revelations without feeling like traitors to the nation we love," they said.

A gallery in Brooklyn will temporarily exhibit the work beginning on May 8th.  At the invitation of Postmasters Gallery "The Snowden Bust" will be presented in the SEVEN at The Boiler exhibition titled,  "anonymity, no longer an option."

BACKGROUND:      A 100-pound bust of NSA whistleblower, the work of three artists, was erected by just before dawn atop one of the Doric columns near the park's Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. The city quickly covered up the statue and police confiscated and remained in police custody until today. 

Caption: The NYPD returned the sculpture of Edward Snowden that was placed in Fort Greene Park in the early morning hours of April 6, 2015. The 100 pound bust was picked up Wednesday morning from the NYPD property clerk in the North Bronx.

 The NYPD barcode on the farhead of the bust.

Volunteers moved the 100 pound bust from a police van at the NYPD property facility in Queens this afternoon. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on images to enlarge

Read More: 

Edward Snowden Artists Seek Confiscated Sculpture Back From NYPD

A Walk In The Park - April 14, 2015 

The Great Cover-Up As Parks' Quickly Removes Bust Of Edward 

Snowden In Fort Greene Park

A Walk In The Park - April 6, 2015 - By Geoffrey Croft

Parks Dept. Performance Summonses Put On Hold In Washington Square Park

Sand artist Joe Mangrum holding up numerous summonses he has recieved in Washington Square Park. Street performers have been targeted by the city's new rule that prevents collecting donations near landmarks or monuments in parks. In an attempt to prohibit and restrict this activity in the park, the Bloomberg administration is attempting to classify these performers as vendors. The city recently began issuing tickets under the Parks Department's new Expressive Matter vending rules and have instructed PEP officers to write tickets which include unlawful vending and unlawful assembly.

Although a number of people who were issued tickets were originally required to go to court in December the City adjourned all the tickets until at least January 31st. Last week another ticket were dismissed. On December 21, an administrative law judge at the city’s Environmental Control Board threw out a summons issued on October 23 to Kareem “Tac” Barnes who had been performing an acrobatic dance routine with his twin brother in Washington Square Park's fountain. The judge found that they were, "not engaged in an activity that required a permit." (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

Manhattan

It may be curtains for the controversial crackdown on street performers in city parks.

Artists who had been slapped with huge fines for performing in Washington Square Park say the rule is no longer being enforced — and many of their outstanding tickets were suddenly dismissed, according to the New York Daily News.

“Maybe they are re-thinking their approach,” said Colin Huggins, who said he’s been hit with nine summonses totaling $6,000 for playing his baby grand piano between the park’s famed arch and its empty fountain.

A spokeswoman for the Parks Department insisted “the rules remain in effect.”

Still, performers say they haven’t been hassled in the three weeks since civil rights heavyhitters Ronald Kuby and Norman Siegel took the case on behalf of the ticketed buskers.

They are due back in court Jan. 31.

The rule, which applies to parks citywide, went into effect about a year ago and prohibits artists who collect tips from performing within 50 feet of a monument or landmark. It wasn’t until October that performers reported being hit with the steep fines.

At a recent community board meeting, Manhattan Borough Parks Commissioner William Castro hinted the city may be re-considering the rules.

“We are mindful of the concerns raised by some park patrons and we are further reviewing the impact of these rules in Washington Square Park,” Castro said.

That’s good news for Kareem “Tac” Barnes, who has been performing an acrobatic dance routine with his twin brother, Tyheem, near the Washington Square Park fountain for 25 years.

“We are not looking for permission or forgiveness. We just want to perform,” said Barnes, 36, a father of five. “

We don't need permission to be out there. It's our First Amendment right.”

Barnes said he has had most of his 14 summonses — carrying fines of more than $10,000 — dismissed.

News of the latest dismissal came about two weeks ago in a letter from the city’s Environmental Control Board. The letter stated that his performance did not fall under the guidelines of the city's vendor laws, which prohibit vending in city parks.

“It's totally a victory," Barnes said.

Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates, said the rules “are clearly meant to prohibit performing in the park.”

“We are happy that the city has officially ceased writing summonses until these issues can be worked out,” Croft said.

Read More:

Street artists say they’re performing again without fear of big fines in Washington Square Park Rule barring tip performances within 50 feet of a monuments under fire

New York Daily News - January 1 2012 - By John Doyle

Crowd Denounces Parks Dept. Washington Square Park Performer Crack Down

A Walk In The Park - December 22, 2011

Bloomberg $ Cracks Down On Performers In Washington Square Park Ticket Blitz

A Walk In The Park - December 4, 2011 - By Geoffrey Croft

Don’t Ban The Washington Square Park Buskers - Editorial

"Bob Gormley, Community Board 2 district manager, said the board gets zero complaints about loud music in the park."

And The Loud Sand? Its safe to say the loudest sound associated with Joe Mangrum creating one of his beloved sand pieces was of the three-year-old dropping change into a donation bucket. Mr. Mangrum has recently been issued six tickets under a crackdown by the Bloomberg administration. In yet another public relations stumble, the administration is attempting to prohibit performers from receiving donations while at the same time the city collects millions of dollars from concessions. The Parks Department is responsible for 91% of all concession revenue collected from city agencies. (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

Manhattan

Washington Square buskers are decrying a crackdown by the Parks Department, which admits it is applying new anti-vending regulations against them, according to an Editorial published in the Villager.

At a Dec. 4 press conference, three busking acts said they had received 21 summonses collectively in the past three months.

New regulations on expressive-matter vending went on the books in July 2010 but didn’t go into effect till this May. These rules limit the number of vendors of First Amendment-protected matter — such as paintings and books — in high-traffic park locations, such as Union Square, Battery Park, the High Line and Central Park. The new rules also state that artist vendors must stay 50 feet from park monuments and 5 feet from benches. A temporary restraining order against the new regulations’ enforcement was lifted. But a federal lawsuit, by Robert Lederman of ARTIST (Artists’ Response to Illegal State Tactics) remains alive.

Under the new rules, artist vendors can’t be in Union Square’s southern plaza, but must compete for marked spots on the square’s western and eastern sides. According to Lederman, it was only after he complained, in his suit, that musicians were still being allowed to perform in the southern plaza, that Parks moved to apply the new rules to buskers, too. In fact, to our knowledge, the legislation does not specifically mention performers, musicians or buskers. It thus seems likely that enforcement against musicians was only started to defend the artist-vendor rules against Lederman’s litigation. A Parks spokesperson denied this, saying the rules always included buskers.

In addition, attorneys Norman Siegel and Ron Kuby dispute that buskers are even vendors. Anyone can watch tumbling tandem Tic and Tac, Colin Huggins (a.k.a. “The Crazy Piano Guy”) or sand artist Joe Mangrum, but payment is optional. It’s different than having a sidewalk artist paint your portrait for a set fee. And if just putting out a hat means “vendor,” then what’s a homeless panhandler selling?

Also, it may now be impossible to busk at all in Washington Square: There may be no point that isn’t 50 feet from a monument or 5 feet from a bench, given that the park has the arch, the fountain (deemed a monument) the Garibaldi statue, the Holley monument and scores of benches.

One can still play music for free in the park, but to nix busking deprives the square of an essential part of its creative, spontaneous character.

Parks says the new rules prevent congestion and ensure that people can see the park monuments. And yet — in a clear double standard — Parks’ own Union Square vendors Holiday Market is now causing major congestion and is within mere feet of the Washington and Gandhi statues.

In addition, Benepe stated, the rules are also so parkgoers can enjoy the “sounds of silence” — but, hey, isn’t that a Simon and Garfunkel song, commissioner? Meanwhile, Bob Gormley, Community Board 2 district manager, said the board gets zero complaints about loud music in the park.

Plus, existing regulations already state decibel levels must be reasonable. Loud drummers were an issue a few summers ago — but told to tone it down, they did. There are also already rules requiring permits for amplified sound and large gatherings. In other words, new regulations limiting busking in parks aren’t needed.

C.B. 2 will hold a speak-out on the issue on Mon., Dec. 19, at 6:30 p.m., at the N.Y.U. Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, eighth floor, at which the public is invited to speak for or against Parks’ actions. We encourage people to attend and make their voices heard on this critically important issue.

Read More:

Don’t ban the buskers

The Villager - Editorial - December 15, 2011

Washington Square Park Performer Crackdown Community Board Meeting

Walk In The Park - December 7, 2011

Bloomberg $ Cracks Down On Performers In Washington Square Park Ticket Blitz

A Walk In The Park - December 4, 2011