Liverpool’s musicians protest against new legislation to restrict the city’s busking community – Getintothis’ Peter Guy captures the action.
PEACEFUL protesters took to the streets of Liverpool today to demonstrate against proposed rules to restrict the city’s busking community.
Musicians, artists and people from the Liverpool arts scene gathered on Church Street to play music while raising awareness of the council’s proposed legislation to restrict where and when buskers can perform.
Busker Jonny Walker, who performs across Britain and Europe, said more than 2,000 people had backed his campaign against ‘highly restrictive’ sanctions being brought in by the council.
The council wants to introduce compulsory permits for street performers, which could be withdrawn if the artist is not considered good enough, or if there are complaints they repeat the same songs too many times.
Walker said he believed the council had ignored his advice and was at risk of making enforcement officers into ‘a poor man’s Simon Cowell’.
But the council said its new policy was intended to ‘bring a better-managed environment for performers, businesses and the public alike”.
The ECHO spoke to Jonny, Venya Krutikov from city music hub The Kazimier, Liverpool musicians Matt Swift, Tom George as well as several people on the streets joining in the protest.
You can sign the petition here.
For more discussion on Liverpool’s busking scene plus extended footage of many of the city’s street musicians visit here.
