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NYPD and PEP officers and the Employees, the coordinators of the concert
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Three teenage rock bands hoped to perform in Tompkins Square Park tonight, but were shut down by the Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) and the New York Police Department. Hello Mary, Clovis and the Employees drew over 100 schoolmates, filling the circle by the Krishna tree, but none of the bands had secured a permit to play with amplification.
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Hello Mary at Tompkins Square Park
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The first two PEP officers arrived about 5:20 p.m. and told the musicians they had to end the performances by 6 p.m. The three bands played brief sets and attempted to play past 6 p.m. Ultimately several officers moved in and ended the party.
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Clovis at Tompkins Square Park
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This is the second time in one week that the PEP officers visited Tompkins Square Park. The PEP officers first shut down bands in this park last Friday. They have been shutting down amplified music in Washington Square Park for about three weeks. Unamplified musicians are allowed to play without a permit in both parks.
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The Employees at Tompkins Square Park
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Presently, securing permits for amplification in a park is a complicated process. One month in advance, the applicant must request permission from the parks department to hold a public event and pay a non-refundable fee. The parks department usually will approve the request if the request is for a political or religious event. The applicant then needs to ask the police department for a sound permit, which will be denied; Mayor De Blasio put a freeze on these requests some six months ago.
About three weeks after the crackdown began in Washington Square Park, police ordered a dj to stop amplifying his music. According to the police, the dj refused and they responded by confiscating his equipment. In response, about 150 protesters then marched to and reportedly attempted to enter the Sixth Precinct, blocking traffic on Hudson Street. Police responded by taking 12 protesters into custody, arresting four.
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