Anger, Alarm at Arts on the Green

As a resident of Costa Mesa, and as an artist who is active in the struggle for freedom of expression and the guarantees of the First Amendment, I was quite alarmed to be treated as a criminal at Arts on the Green (in Costa Mesa on Sept. 23).

An organization that I am involved with, the Coalition for the Freedom of Expression, was passing out flyers with information on the City Council’s recent decision to investigate the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse for presenting a play that questions parochial education. The coalition wants Costa Mesa citizens to know that this kind of repression is occurring in their hometown.

Attempting to get a booth at the festival proved to be difficult, especially after (festival officials found) out who we were. Our next step was to be old-fashioned Americans and pass out information (on) the grounds, (but) we were asked to stand across the street on the public sidewalk. (Those who received flyers from our allotted space on the corner thanked us for our perseverance and were very excited to know that a group is doing something about art restrictions.)

Later in the afternoon when a couple of members of our group--without any flyers--wanted to go get a refreshment (on the festival grounds), they were reprimanded (and) branded as trespassers. I later escorted a friend to look for a bathroom, and as we walked in, (we) saw a young South Coast Plaza security officer running toward the doors. The young officer ran up to me, walkie-talkie in hand, and stopped me without telling me why, repeating, “Just hold it right there.” You would have thought that he had just apprehended a bank robber. He was calling for backup, tapping his foot in a most agitated manner. I tried to ask him what the problem was, to which there was no reply.

Another security officer came up and then a somewhat incoherent man (who said he was) speaking for the chamber, saying we weren’t welcome on any of this private property. The attitude was totally out of line. The security was amateurish at best, with pseudo-cops running around, hoping to make criminals out of solid citizens who are merely trying to lend a voice. Later, security called police, and an officer came and talked to us. He informed us that the security officers had (accused us of) causing a disturbance--five people handing out flyers on the corner!--and that we were not to cross the street or we would be subject to a citizen’s arrest.

Is the city of Costa Mesa that frightened? Is the Chamber of Commerce a reactionary group of small business owners who offer this empty City of the Arts banner without any commitment to unrestricted art?

RANDY L. PESQUEIRA

Costa Mesa

Diane Pritchett, co-chair of Arts on the Green, confirmed that coalition members were asked to distribute flyers outside the festival area , in keeping with festival policy restricting such activity to registered participants, but she invited the group to apply for a festival booth in the future. She said that she was not aware of the incidents with security but that Pesqueira’s complaints were being forwarded to her.