According
to reports, roaming, free-lance, costumed ‘characters’ in New York City’s Times
Square are protesting the NYPD’s informational campaign informing visitors that
tipping said characters is not mandatory.
On Tuesday, August 19th, a number of them took their ‘heads’ off and
showed their (real) faces to protest this “hostile move” by the local police.
These ‘giant Elmos, Mickey and Minnie Mouses, Statues of Liberty, and various
other beloved children’s characters’ are, in reality, mostly Spanish speaking
immigrants. (To quote an article by
Verena Dobnik in the Associated Press). One prominent protester’s sign read,
“We make the world smile.”
The
police embarked on this informational campaign after a string of recent
incidents in which some of the ‘characters’ assaulted tourists. Others were
allegedly guilty of harassing people and groping women. Things came to a head
last month when ‘a’ Spider-Man demanding money punched a police officer who was
telling a woman she was not obligated to
pay.
“We
need to be respected”… said one of
the characters… who was dressed as Minnie Mouse.
According
to the Associated Press article, the executive director of La Fuente, a
pro-immigrant nonprofit that helped organize the performers, said, “it’s their First Amendment right to entertain people.”
That’s
as may be. I’m all about First Amendment rights. And entertainment.
I just
didn’t think that harassment and assault were protected under the First
Amendment. Or would earn one much respect.
In a
twisted way, seeing ‘Spider-Man’ punch a police officer might be entertaining
to some. But, seeing, say, my wife get groped by Mickey- or Minnie- Mouse isn’t
going to make me smile. And that’s a tip I will give to these ‘characters’.
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