Photo of Tompkins Square Riot by Clayton Patterson
Big news out of the squats today! The city relented! The riot party's on!
But no, twas not to be.
Early reports from erstwhile East Villager Clayton Patterson was that thanks to, ahem, amNY's
story, the higher up's in the Parks Dept would permit the 20th anniversary of what locals refer to as "The Tompkins Square Park Police Riots" (in order to properly affix blame.)
In a phone interview, Paterson said, "I think in the end they didn't have a legitimate reason not to give us a permit. It's a power thing. If we were the New York City Kennel Club and had some really prestigious corporate sponsor behind us I bet we'd have no problem getting that permit."
He went on: "The Tompkins Square Police Riot has to be remembered from a neighborhood point of view. So many people have been pushed out. We could hold a commemoration of when the Rivington Hotel got built and celebrate and drink champagne, but we don't drink champagne."
But alas, there will be no champagne, and no punk throw-down. It turns out the Parks Department has merely agreed to negotiate, not to surrender.
In the meantime, back to the barricades!
-- David Freedlander