Over 2,000 maskless people packed into NYC park for free metal concert last weekend after organizers applied for permit calling it 'September 11 Memorial' rally
More than 2,000 people packed into New York City's Tompkins Square Park for a hardcore rock concert last weekend after the organizers obtained a permit for the event by saying it was a 9/11 memorial.
The mostly-maskless crowd gathered at the East Village park on April 24 for the event hosted by Black N Blue Productions, which clearly violated multiple city COVID restrictions - including a ban on outdoor gatherings with more than 200 people.
The Parks Department told DailyMail.com that the permit holder for the rock show, Chris Parker, misrepresented the event on his application by calling it a 'September 11 Memorial'.
The event was described on the application as a 'political rally with music and speakers' that was expected to have 100 attendees, the Parks Department said.
Instead, over 2,000 people showed up to watch metal bands A Madball, Murphy's Law, Bloodclot and The Capturers perform.
The concert was believed to have been the largest city-permitted event to take place in the Big Apple since the pandemic started over a year ago.
Over 2,000 people showed last weekend up to watch metal bands A Madball, Murphy's Law, Bloodclot and The Capturers perform at Tomkins Square Park in the East Village (pictured)
In the application to the city's Parks Department, the April 24 concert (pictured) was described as a 'political rally with music and speakers' that was expected to have 100 attendees
In an Instagram post, Black and Blue Productions denied listing the even as a 9/11 memorial and accused the media of lying.
'I'm sure most people know the media lies almost all the time,' the statement read. 'But just for s**** and giggles the permit says nothing about 911 Memorial on it!! I have the permit in my hand. F***ing a**hats. Had look at it again to make sure but there's nothing on it that says 911 Memorial,' the New York based production company posted on Instagram.
Copies of the permit provided by the Parks Department clearly state the event name as 'September 11 Memorial.'
Bloodclot frontman John Joseph defended the concert, comparing it to last year's massive gathering of Black Lives Matter protest.
'And let me say this - to all those talking shit. For the last year in NYC there were protests - tens and thousands of people in the streets - some rioting and looting engaging in bias attacks - on 4/20 weed day - thousands filled Washington Square Park - sharing blunts and weed pipes. Nobody said shit. This was our PROTEST - OUR RALLY. People who didn't want to come - stayed away. Good - nobody missed their ass,' front man John Joseph posted on Facebook.
Joseph was not clear about what the concert was meant to protest, but at one point in the show Jimmy Gestapo, the lead singer of Murphy’s Law, compared masks to bondage, Gothamist reported.
Attendees were encouraged to donate to the event's GoFundMe, that raised nearly $6,725 for the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation.
The Parks Department says the concert violated the Mayor Bill de Blasio's Executive Order that prohibits gatherings of more than 200 people, enforces social distancing and face masks.
Additional violations include bringing in a stage with amplified sound, misrepresenting the concert as a political rally, misrepresenting the crowd size, driving a vehicle into the park and alcohol consumption in the park.
The Parks Department says they would generally not permit an event with that many people in the park even without COVID regulations in place.
The Parks Department said they are moving to revoke all permits for Parker.
Black N Blue Productions denied the event was listed as a 9/11 memorial in an Instagram post, claiming 'the permit says nothing about 911 Memorial on it!! I have the permit in my hand'
The Parks Department said the permit holder for the concert (pictured) misrepresented the event on his application- which listed the event as a 'September 11 Memorial'
The Parks Department says they would generally not permit an event with that many people in Tompkins Square park (pictured) even without COVID regulations in place
The concert comes as COVID cases and rates in New York City have been plunging.
As of April, positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths have all been declining as more New Yorkers continue to get vaccinated and warm weather draws people outdoors, the New York Times reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday that fully vaccinated Americans can go maskless outside, except when attending crowded events like a concert, parade or baseball game.
The CDC said that outdoor transmission of coronavirus is exceedingly rare, accounting for less than 10 percent of cases.
Those risks are mainly linked to crowded events that can turn into super-spreader events, or people who were in close range of one another, the CDC said.
Following the CDC announcement, Mayor de Blasio said he was open to easing outdoor mask regulations.
'We can certainly work with that because we've said all along the difference between outdoor and indoor is really so much of this ballgame, and so outdoor is a much, much better situation,' he said on Tuesday during a daily briefing.
City health officials have yet to announce updated regulations for outdoor mask use.
New York state has likewise kept in place its mask requirements - which apply when individuals are in public and within six feet of anyone outside their immediate social circle.
The state also limits social gatherings in public spaces to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.
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