DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - When the July 12 Art Walk clash between police and Occupy L.A. protesters ended at around 11:30 p.m., the immediate results were clear.
There were 17 arrests, with nine people taken into custody for writing in chalk on sidewalks and private property, and others charged with more serious offenses such as assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.
What’s unclear is the long-term effect the skirmish could have on the popular event and what role the Occupy protesters will play in Downtown Los Angeles. The group in recent months has been protesting outside the headquarters of the business group the Central City Association, and its members have been gathering in Pershing Square. The head of the park’s farmers market said that protesters are frightening customers and putting the future of the market at risk.
Art Walk officials say the Occupy protesters, who planned a “Chalk Walk” to coincide with the event, hijacked its popularity to get attention. Several business owners fear not only that the protestors may return every month, but that potential customers and art buyers will stay away.
“New folks come from other areas during the summer, and I would hate to see their experience mar their feelings for Downtown,” said Nikki Castellanos, director of marketing and operations for Coba, a Downtown based juice company that runs the Coba Gallery at 125 W. Fifth St.
On July 12, Castellanos’ gallery was holding a benefit show for Casa Cultural Saybrook, a children’s art program. Pieces created by kids hung on the walls and donations were being collected when police told them to shut their doors as they dealt with the protesters in the streets.
Castellanos believes that the overwhelming police presence may have contributed to the escalation of the protest. But ultimately her biggest concern is that it may lead to the shut down of Art Walk.
“That would be horrible for everyone,” she said
Thursday’s confrontation began after protesters started providing chalk and inviting people to scrawl political messages on the street. At around 9:30 p.m., a crowd gathered at the intersection at Fifth and Spring streets.
Police responded, the crowd refused to disperse, and according to LAPD officials, at least one bottle was thrown at the officers. A skirmish line was formed and dozens of officers eventually pushed the crowd north on Spring Street.
During the fracas, businesses were locked down, with people not allowed to leave until the incident was resolved.
Drop in Business
Art Walk Director Joe Moller said that the event will not shut down or even change as a result of the disturbance.
“We are constantly working on making Art Walk the safest possible experience we can,” he said. “We will continue to operate as we have for the last eight years. Nothing I have seen as of today indicates that we should have a change in our procedures.”
Moller said Art Walk was collateral damage for a movement that is quickly losing its audience. The large number of people who gather for the monthly event provides an easy platform for the Occupy group to hijack, he said.
“One of the challenges that that organization has is that nobody cares anymore,” he said. “Their audience has gone home, gone back to work, gone back to their parents’ couches, and this new group of the leftovers are not able to find an audience for their messages.”
Occupy members did not respond to numerous interview requests with Los Angeles Downtown News. Emails and Facebook messages were not returned. Occupy members at Pershing Square one evening last week would not talk with a reporter.
City Councilman José Huizar, whose 14th District encompasses the Art Walk area, said that he plans to meet with Art Walk officials, police and the Art Walk Task Force to discuss how the disturbance was handled. However, at this point he too foresees no major changes in Art Walk’s future.
“I think it was unfortunate to have a very successful public event scarred by this incident,” he said. “Occupy L.A. would have gone to any type of event looking for an audience and Art Walk was a prime target.”
Bad for Business
Numerous business owners said they suffered financial losses from the night. They include Ensenada Restaurant and Bar, which normally earns about $6,000 during Art Walk. During the July 12 event, the establishment at 517 S. Spring St. only did about $2,800 worth of business and lost a lot of food they were expecting to serve or deliver to Downtown residents, said owner Emma Chavez.
“I’m very concerned they [Occupy L.A.] might come back next month,” said Chavez. “We were in lock down. No one knew what was going on and I don’t know that the people that were here will want to come back next month.”
Chavez credits the police with staying calm, since she believes the protesters were trying to escalate the situation to get arrested. She also finds irony in their tactics, since they claim to stand up for the 99% while hurting those in that very group.
“We’re a mom and pop restaurant. We need this night,” she said. “I still don’t understand what they were protesting.”
There are also concerns over how the Occupy members have spread since police shut down the City Hall encampment Nov. 30. In recent months, the activists have routinely been bedding down outside the headquarters of the Central City Association, protesting the organization’s pro-business stance. Additionally, they regularly gather at Pershing Square.
According to the Occupy Los Angeles website, the group meets at Pershing Square every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for its general assembly at 7:30 p.m. But they spend additional time at the park in the heart of the Financial District.
John Edwards, president of Raw Inspiration, which runs the farmers market at Pershing Square on Wednesdays, said that for at least four weeks he has noticed an increase in what appear to be members of the Occupy movement hanging out at the park.
“They have sleeping bags set up next to the food tables. They’re panhandling for food,” he said. “If you have people lying on the floor, begging for food and asking for money, no one is going to want to shop here anymore.”
He said business at the market has fallen by about 30% over the past few weeks. He fears that if things don’t pick up, the market may be forced to close.
“I’m part of the 99% and all the farmers are too,” he said. “We’re not part of the 1% and they’re hurting the people they say they are protesting for, and that’s a shame.”
It’s not the first time produce vendors have been hurt by Occupy. During the City Hall protests, the weekly farmers market was forced out of its longtime home on the south lawn of the building. They took up space at City Hall East plaza on the east side of Main Street. Organizers said business dropped dramatically.
Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
©Los Angeles Downtown News.
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