Tensions High as Art Walk Arrives

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Summer is traditionally the busiest time of the year for the Downtown Art Walk. Local gallery owners and restaurant and bar proprietors are expecting a massive crowd to flock to the Historic Core for the happening on Thursday, Aug. 9.

Among those gearing up for Art Walk are members of the Occupy L.A. movement, who clashed with police at last month’s event. The night ended with an LAPD skirmish line and many people kept inside of businesses for hours.

That is impacting expectations of what will occur this week.

“We respect everyone’s right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression,” said Joe Moller, director of Art Walk. “But we humbly ask that they find a forum better suited than Art Walk, which as we found out last month became collateral damage.”

That is unlikely to happen.

Last week, on the Occupy L.A. website, the loosely banded group of protesters were calling for a “global day of action” on Aug. 9. They are urging people to come to Art Walk and pick up chalk. Last month’s battle with police started after Occupy members and others scribbled chalk messages and drawings on walls and sidewalks near the intersection of Fifth and Spring streets.

“We did consent as a general assembly to a call for a global solidarity action called Chalkupy the World,” said Julie Levine, a 53-year-old representative of the group, which meets at Pershing Square three times a week. “Our goal in the Aug. 9 Chalk Walk is to do a solidarity action for those innocent people that were arrested and hurt.”

Levine said Occupy members have yet to come to a consensus as to what specifically they will do during Art Walk, but she said chalk will again be part of the proceedings.

“While we cannot guarantee the safety of participants, we hope very much that everyone remains safe. We hope the police are peaceful,” she said.

Enforcing the Law

The July 12 Art Walk erupted around 9:30 p.m., when a crowd spilled into the intersection at Fifth and Spring and refused to disperse.

LAPD spokeswoman Norma Eisenman said last month that at least one bottle was lobbed toward police and four officers were reported injured. Police responded with tactics including firing rubber bullets and forming a skirmish line that slowly pushed a group of protestors north on Spring Street. TV and police helicopters swirled overhead during the encounter.

The night ended with 17 arrests. Nine people were taken into custody for writing in chalk on sidewalks and private property, and others were charged with more serious offenses such as assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.

Levine claims that only a couple of people who were arrested are actual Occupy L.A. members. She also asserts that the bottles came from the buildings above and were thrown by Downtown residents.

Some business owners complained that the skirmish cost them money on a night that is usually very lucrative.

Levine blamed that on the LAPD.

“If they hadn’t called, whatever it was, martial order, and closed the city at 10 p.m., by which time we already had left, if they hadn’t closed down those businesses, there would have been tons of business in that area,” Levine stated.

It was not the first time police and Occupy members have come together, of course. Last November, some 1,400 police officers cleared the City Hall park of Occupy protesters. That action, which occurred after midnight and with several days of advance notice, was peaceful, and more than 200 people were arrested.

LAPD Commander Andy Smith said he is hoping this week’s event is also without incident. However, he warned that the department is preparing to uphold the law.

“I want to be clear that chalking on buildings is vandalism,” he said. “We’re hoping that we have a peaceful Art Walk where people can go out and enjoy the time without having to worry. We’re hoping everything will be peaceful and that the Occupy folk will obey the laws we all have to obey.”

Meanwhile, Moller said Art Walk representatives are visiting area businesses and handing out window signs that read “I Support a Peaceful Art Walk.” They are also giving out phone numbers for city officials and other resources in case business owners or managers have problems or questions during the event.

He hopes the signs will remind everyone to remain peaceful and that the night is about art.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

©Los Angeles Downtown News.