Preserve the Rights of DMV Buskers

To Marcus Jones, Police Chief of the Montgomery County Police Department,

We, the buskers and supporters of street performers within the DC/MD/VA community, are petitioning against the MoCo police who are criminalizing our professions as street musicians. It is offensive to hard working street musicians (buskers) to label all of us as illicitly soliciting, begging, and scamming the public.

Street musicians (buskers) provide passion, vitality, and life into our local communities, and have played an important role in maintaining culture within the DC metropolitan area for many years - specifically during the COVID pandemic.

Historically, our street busking culture has shaped the artistic branding of the DMV - which has this year been introduced as an award category in the Recording Academy's Grammys.

We ask for a public apology, and a conversation around how we can best facilitate each other's interests without publicly criticizing and criminalizing the street performing [busking] profession.

Signed,
The street performers and supporters of DMV buskers

#DontMuteDC #DontMuteMoCo