Not all local elected officials immediately questioned the decision. City Councilmember Keith Powers was in attendance... tweeting out a mask-wearing selfie...To @NYCMayor and @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCParks . Why would you issue a permit to have hundreds of maskless people listen to music in tompkins square park? We are trying to recover from #covid not have a super spreader event! pic.twitter.com/Yxi3vr8GpO
— Harvey Epstein 哈維 D. 艾普斯汀(男) (@HarveyforNY) April 24, 2021
I’m in Tompkins Square Park seeing a live concert for the first time in a year. New York City, forever. 🎶 pic.twitter.com/Um1XCCkLVm
— Keith Powers (@KeithPowersNYC) April 24, 2021
Asked about the safety of the event, he went on to reference a Gorilla Biscuits song: "I have reached out to organizers to remind them to 'start today' with better social distancing protocols."
The Parks Department was led to believe the event was a political rally with about 100 people expected to attend — not the estimated 2,000-person crowd that showed up for a hardcore concert, according to the spokesperson.A copy of the permit obtained by PIX11 shows the name of the event was listed as "September 11 Memorial" and the description was a "political rally with music and speakers."
According to PIX 11, the Parks Department "moved to revoke all permits by the organizers," including the A7 "Back To The NYHC Roots" New York Hardcore Compilation Record Release show scheduled for May 8.
[Updated 5 p.m. Parks Department spokesperson Crystal Howard told Gothamist today, "We are moving to revoke all permits for this organizer and related future events." That equals seven total events.]
Chris Flash, the publisher of The Shadow, who has organized concerts in Tompkins Square Park since 2006, disputes PIX 11's coverage. He told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that he applied for the permit for a "rally/concert" for April 24.