Hollywood Boulevard is set to take a tip from Times Square in how the city will regulate the vendors and street performers who congregate along the sidewalks between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive. As LAist reports, the LA City Council voted today to establish an “entertainment zone” (also referred to by some advocates as a “safety zone”) along the corridor, allowing the costumed characters to continue to ply… whatever it is that they ply, as long as they pick up an official pass.
Under the new rules—which are similar to policies established in New York City earlier this year—20 passes will be made available each day on a first-come, first-served basis, with each pass expiring after 24 hours. After the passes are distributed, the zone will be considered at capacity. If a performer is caught violating the terms or performing without a pass, they could be banned from receiving a pass for three months.
The pass system has some First Amendment advocates pushing back, telling the LA Times that the rule could potentially limit political protests or other protected speech and assembly.
Proponents of the regulations, however, note that it comes in response to a rash of violence and petty crime amongst the costumed crews, including a fist-fight between a Mickey Mouse and a Donald Duck which broke in front of the Dolby Theater a few months ago, and an incident in which a pirate attempted to steal $80 from a confused Chinese tourist. Other neighborhood complaints the rules seek to address include dance performances taking up large sections of pedestrian areas and the cacophony created by competing music and loud speakers.
Now that the measure has been approved, it will go to the City Attorney for official drafting. The Council will then vote on the final language, after which it will become law. Once passed, the system would only apply to the Hollywood Boulevard stretch, so maybe the punch-throwing Batmen will be making their way to a new neighborhood next.