Re-posted; Originally Published April 14, 2011 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary last year —
Last month, I wrote of a scheduled event at Washington Square Park April 9th to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the “Washington Square Folk Riots.” In the end, this event did not happen. Apparently, there was some disharmony between Izzy Young, a key figure of that day, and the organizer, Russell Hicks. Young canceled plans to come to NY from Sweden and Hicks then unfortunately canceled the event.
National Public Radio (NPR) did a piece that day on the 50th Anniversary — “How the Beatnik Riot Helped Kick Off the ’60’s” :
Today, anybody can play music in Washington Square Park. But back then, city law required that you have a permit. That was really just a formality — until the spring of 1961 when the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Newbold Morris rejected the folkies’ application with no explanation.
But that didn’t stop [David Bennett] Cohen and a few hundred of his new friends from showing up to protest the denial.
“We came anyway,” Cohen says. “We never expected to get beat up, or arrested. I mean, how stupid can you be?”
Filmmaker Dan Drasin also came along, bringing some video equipment he’d borrowed from his bosses, cinema verite pioneers D.A. Pennebaker and Albert Maysles.
“I’d heard about this upcoming demonstration and thought, ‘Well, it would make a nice little subject for a documentary,'” Drasin says.
Fighting For The ‘Right To Sing’
In 1961, Izzy Young was running the Folklore Center on MacDougal Street, a few blocks away from the park. At the time, it was the heart of the Greenwich Village folk scene — a hangout for amateurs and professionals, including Bob Dylan and Dave Van Ronk.
Young was the one who applied for the Washington Square Park permit in the first place, and when it was rejected he helped organize the protest.
You can watch Dan Drasin’s 17 minute film, “Sunday” (note: this appears to have been moved; will try to locate and reinsert correct link) about events of that day. I had some trouble watching – the video kept stopping – but you’ll notice that, except for around the playground, there is a fence-less Washington Square Park.
Note: See original post for comments about cancellation of event and more.
* More history: WSP Blog on the 50th Anniversary of Washington Square Folk Riot April 9th; Community Board 2 to Discuss Commemorative Event
Photo: Harvey Zucker