City Officals Cancel Free Bedouin Soundclash In Canada

Photos

City Officals Cancel Free Bedouin Soundclash In Canada

see larger image

uploaded by reggaewire

• 

  uploaded by reggaewire | add comment

• 

  uploaded by reggaewire | add comment

A free concert at Vancouver's supervised injection site was cancelled after a clash with city officials and police late Thursday afternoon.

Canadian indie rockers Bedouin Soundclash weren't able to play a free concert at a barbecue outside Insite after city officials had the stage taken down, citing bylaw infractions.

"Because there was no permit, the city came down with crews and hundreds of police officers to shut us down," said volunteer Chris Livingstone.

"We didn't get to feed as many people as we wanted to. We didn't get to see a Juno-winning band that supports Insite. Hopefully they'll come back."

The event, Play Music Not Politics, was shut down shortly before it was set to start at 5:30 p.m. ater organizers closed one lane of Hastings Street.

Police said city officials had asked them to enforce a traffic bylaw after the PHS Community Services Society, which operates Insite, was denied a permit for the event.

"We spoke with the organizers and had discussions with city officials on alternative locations," said police spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness. "We offered them a permit on a location 100 feet away on Columbia where they could party all night if they wanted to.

"The organizers did not want that. They were adamant to stay on Hastings Street," she added.

The Reggae News Agency

www.riddimjamaica.net | www.riddimja.com