Group says concert was blocked
Accuses cities of unfairness
An immigrant-rights group stymied in its efforts to hold a concert last week accused officials in Somerville and Cambridge of blocking its efforts to reach out to youth.
Leaders of Centro Presente and Friends of Cambridge said local police and city officials refused to provide them with alternative dates or locations to host its youth Hip Hop Concert for Justice, which they had planned for May 2 in Somerville. Centro Present leaders said Cambridge later canceled a concert they planned to make up for the one in Somerville.
"This was a profound disappointment for our youth, who worked diligently for weeks organizing the event," leaders of Centro Presente wrote this week in an open letter to Somerville. "The spirit of our Hip Hop Concert for Justice was to build community and to reaffirm values of democracy, hospitality, compassion, and respect for the basic humanity of all. It was indeed unfortunate that the event was canceled not once, but twice."
In a statement, Somerville officials said they did not allow the event because the group did not secure the necessary permits, forcing it to cancel.
"Somerville did not cancel Centro Presente's event," said Lesley Delaney Hawkins, a spokeswoman for Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. "The organization had not completed the permitting process and, therefore, had not addressed public safety concerns. The city's permitting process is in place to ensure the safety of those attending any event and the broader public. Had Centro Presente completed the permitting process in a timely manner, the city of Somerville and the Somerville Police Department would have worked with the organization to address any security concerns before the event."
Leaders of Centro Presente, who declined to comment beyond the letter, acknowledged they lacked proper permits but said Somerville officials blocked their efforts to complete the permitting process after they said a Boston police bulletin suggested the event could become "inflammatory." Police say they never posted such a bulletin.
"Conversations with the [Somerville] police lieutenant made it clear that the Police Department was not interested in helping us figure out a way to make the event safer, but rather wanted to make sure that we did not have the event altogether," they wrote in the letter. "These events call into question the transparency with which Somerville city officials handled the process and demonstrate, at least to us, the little support we received and by extension our youth."
They also accuse Somerville officials of prodding Cambridge to cancel the rescheduled concert. Cambridge officials declined to comment.
But Hawkins said Somerville played no role in the cancellation of the Cambridge concert four days before it was scheduled to occur.
"We learned about that cancellation after the fact through media reports," Hawkins said.
