We got the following email off of Richard Hartnell, a resident artist at Flowtoys, a hub of the Bay Area flow arts community, and contact juggler. He’s thinking of making a pocket letter to show policemen that clearly state the street performers’ rights. What do you think — a good idea?

“I’ve been performing up and down the coast for a few years. Everywhere I go, I seem to meet the same power-tripping rent-a-cops who want to push performers around at street fairs, and SF is sadly no exception. While the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market is a big fan of their street performers – tourists are literally dropped off there by the busload – the woman who manages the Ferry Building has decided (after some asshole played guitar to a big captive audience and drove a big crowd away from one vendor) that buskers are bad for business, a public nuisance, and that no amount of vendor endorsement will allow us back to the market. We still perform on the street outside, but it’s dramatically reduced the amount of space and now we’re having to fight each other for a pitch in the morning. Fortunately, all the performers are on good terms, but it still sucks watching people get hurt in the hat for one lady’s grouchiness.

Anyway, I’m currently working on a card that buskers can print out and keep in their pocket in case of aggressive [renta]cops with the help of some local organizations. And in the meantime, getting ready to travel the west coast and jump across the pond to the European Juggling Convention in Munich… almost entirely out of my hat!

One way or another, I’ll let you folks know when the ”Pocket Cease And Desist Letter” gets done. Check you later – enjoy the travels!”

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See him here: www.gravitydefiance.net