The recent bill (#160016) to amend the “Special Assembly Occupancies” section of the Philadelphia Code poses a serious threat to Philadelphia’s vast and thriving music scene. Please don’t underestimate the number and variety of people this bill would hurt. If passed, this bill will have a serious chilling effect; not only on the musicians that call this city home, but also on the thousands of touring acts who visit the city every year (and bring in thousands of dollars in revenue).

Additionally, there is no reason for the Philadelphia Police to possess a registry containing the personal information of thousands of people, simply because they are musicians. Not only is it unnecessary and likely to cause a massive administrative backlog, it’s a gross violation of our civil liberties. Philadelphia is currently one of the best cities in the country for live music-this bill would make it one of the worst. We call on City Council to reject this dangerous, costly, and unnecessary bill, and to continue to protect the civil rights of its residents.