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| One Spiderman in Times Square was accused of punching an NYPD police officer. Image: pisaphotography / Shutterstock.com |
Rising
incidents of violence and harassment have inspired officials to look more
closely at performers in Times Square who dress as popular pop culture icons
and encourage tourists to have pictures taken with them, often at exorbitant
prices. Recent problems include a Spider-Man
accused of punching a police officer, a Cookie Monster accused of shoving a
two-year-old, and an Elmo accused of showering tourists with anti-Semitic
slurs.
Legal
experts warn that regulations requiring background checks and licenses could
violate free speech rights. The trick is
to determine whether these performers are asking for tips or demanding
money. Enforcement could also be a
problem.
“We're
trying to balance First Amendment rights of individuals with the need to
protect people from what has become garden-variety harassment,” said City Councilman Dan Garodnick, who is working on
drafting laws that would address the problem.
The
problem may involve immigration issues as well:
some of these performers are otherwise unemployed illegal immigrants
struggling to make ends meet.
Several possible regulations are under consideration, including requiring licenses and background checks. However, copyright issues with the owners of the characters could cause conflicts.
Several possible regulations are under consideration, including requiring licenses and background checks. However, copyright issues with the owners of the characters could cause conflicts.
In the meantime, aggressive outbursts continue to plague Times Square, including the recent arrest of 25-year-old Junior Bishop, dressed as Spider-Man, who disputed a tip with a tourist and allegedly hit a police officer in the face. He was arraigned on charges of assault, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. Bishop is the fourth Spider-Man performer to be arrested in Times Square in the last two years.
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