American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada joins Fremont Street Experience and City of Las Vegas on Street Performer Guidelines for New City Ordinance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2015
American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada joins Fremont Street Experience and City of Las Vegas on Street Performer Guidelines for New City Ordinance
LAS VEGAS, NV – July 29, 2015 – The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada (ACLUNV) Executive Director Tod Story joined Las Vegas City Councilmen Ricki Y. Barlow and Bob Coffin in conjunction with Fremont Street Experience President Jeff Victor at a press conference today to announce a set of proposed standards that addresses the time, place and manner in how street performers (also known as buskers) may interact and express themselves within the public area of the Las Vegas attraction Fremont Street Experience.
The ordinance introduced today included input and voices from legal representatives, business interests, performers and civil libertarians. Story expressed that this comprehensive policy will clearly define the designated times, places and manner of expression at Fremont Street Experience without compromising the rights of any performer, busker or artist that wishes to express themselves downtown. Story explained that this would be a positive change that will not only protect the performer’s rights, but also increase safety for the buskers and the general public..
“We are pleased to have reached this proposed ordinance alongside the Fremont Street Experience executives and the City of Las Vegas that preserves the First Amendment Rights of street performers while creating an orderly experience for patrons of Fremont Street Experience,” says Tod Story, Executive Director of ACLUNV. “This ordinance recognizes the rights of expression, the right to assemble, the right to speak and a visitor’s right to be entertained on their terms.”
The agreed-upon main points of the ordinance include regulating the street performances and activity to take place between 3 p.m. and 2 a.m. in strictly designated marked areas. The clearly marked areas will keep the performers organized and include a rotation schedule every two hours so that no one can monopolize a certain zone that may be perceived as a “prime performance area”. When a Fremont Street Experience stage is not in operation, there will be up to 38 zones and 27 zones when a concert or event is occurring on stage.
The ordinance will also require performers to register with the City/Fremont Street Experience in order to be able to participate within the designated locations on Fremont Street. The registration does not cost performers to participate and is valid for 180 days.
The registration process is not to exclude performers or make it difficult for them, but to help identify who is performing on the street.
More details on the proposed ordinance will be available at the next City Council meeting set for Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 9 a.m. A public hearing is also scheduled for Wednesday, September 2.
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ACLUNV’s Executive Director, Tod Story, speaks at a City of Las Vegas news conference on July 29, 2015 to introduce a collective ordinance in collaboration with Fremont Street Experience executives and City Councilmen Bob Coffin and Ricki Y. Barlow. The proposed ordinance will help maintain order and address specific safety issues and concerns regarding street performers without compromising an entertainer’s freedom of creativity and expression.
About American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada
The ACLU of Nevada is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to the defense and advancement of civil liberties and civil rights for all people in Nevada. For additional information, please visit www.aclunv.org.
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