WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Last night, Bloomington’s Board of Park Commissioners had their meeting on the rules for the 2020 Community Farmers’ Market. The board voted 2-1 on market rules “behavior”, with Parks Board members Kathleen Mills and Les Coyne voting for the rules and Israel Herrera voting against.
Commissioner Israel Herrera argued that the new rules would cause violence with the police. Protesters stated that the rules limits First Amendment rights to protest groups whilst granting First Amendment rights to Schooner Creek Farms, which was outed for having ties to white supremacy. According to Indiana Public Media, Herrera said he expected to vote for the rules when going into the meeting but was moved to vote against after hearing from the public.
During the meeting, Bloomington citizens and protesters from the Purple Shirt Brigade and No Space For Hate had the chance to express their opinions on the issue to the board. Activists made ongoing statements about the rules presented while frequently discussing historical and political ties to the issue.
Board member Kathleen Mills stated halfway through, “You have a strategy to eat up as much time as possible,” frustrated with the rise of issues that seemed unrelated to the items on the agenda for the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, the board made the decision for the rules to be enacted immediately with this summer’s farmers market. The rules explain that any protesting that disrupts the regular Market activities or disables easy access to the Market such as picketing, yelling, or unreasonable noise-making is prohibited. Those found doing such activities will then be asked to leave the area and move into one of the designated free speech areas. If the person still refuses, the Bloomington Police Department will be contacted and the person may be arrested.
Market coordinator for the parks department, Marcia Veldman presented the rules at the meeting, stating, “The Rules of Behavior are designed to allow the market to fulfill its primary purpose of being a place where farmers, artisans and customers can come together, while also creating a vibrant community space and allowing for robust community engagement, not just because it’s protected by the Constitution, but because it is a strong civic value.”
