Scenes from the Art Walk Protest
Midnight Ridazz on Spring Street
As fashion retailers open a handful of new boutiques in downtown Los Angeles, the section’s burgeoning Downtown Art Walk is seen as crucial to getting crowds of people to their stores. But the art-inspired street party has stumbled into controversy.
A 57-day-old baby was killed at the Art Walk on July 14. Marcello Vasquez’ mother was pushing the baby in a stroller as a car trying to park jumped a curb near the intersection of Spring and Fourth streets, smashing into Marcello.
Downtown residents and Art Walk enthusiasts were outraged. On Aug. 5, the Los Angeles City Council formed a task force to deal with safety issues. And bicycling activists Midnight Ridazz, vowed to make their presence felt on the Aug 11 Art Walk by holding a bicycle ride on Main and Spring streets to protest what many felt as unsafe traffic at Art Walk.
By the time Art Walk came around, car traffic was on Spring Street was at full tilt. A police presence seemed heavier than at past Art Walks. Los Angeles police mounted on horseback patrolled Spring Street. At one count more than 16 police officers directed traffic and pedestrians at the busy crosswalks of Spring and 5th streets.
However the scores of Midnight Ridazz rode their bicycles down Spring and up Main streets. Not exactly shutting the streets down, but a bicyclist joining the ride said the Midnight Ridazz' goal was nothing more than making a statement. “There were no expectations,” said Chris Callaway, a Los Angeles-based photographer who biked around Art Walk with his friend Adrienne Young. “They should block off the streets to car traffic,” Callaway said. “It’s too dangerous.”
While the Midnight Ridazz biked through the streets often chanting “Midnight Ridazz,” downtown art galleries carried on with the business of art debuts. I enjoyed the Arty gallery’s debut of the Tiny World: Organic Machine show featuring the installations and mixed media art of Jason Hadley and Kasey McMahon.
Jason Hadley piece "As Easy As Striking A Match"
