Statement From The Band

The members of Lungs Face Feet wish to publicly acknowledge our
role in the events of the evening of May 4th, 2012 in the interest of
clarifying some ambiguities and reversing certain misconceptions.
That night our band was scheduled to play as a part of a variety show
that was to kick off a weekend of May Day celebrations.  Through the
course of the planning the venue changed a number of times until it
was finally decided that the show was to take place at The Shop in
Bloomfield, located near the corner of Liberty Ave. and Main St.  Due
to personal differences with one of the proprietors of The Shop, we
decided if we were to be a part of the show that it would be better to
play somewhere nearby, not at the venue.  The logical choice was the
area under the Bloomfield bridge across the street.

       The members of our band have been practicing with a larger marching
band in that spot under the bridge twice a week during the springtime
for the last 2 years.  It is a central place, close to the homes of
the majority of the musicians.  In fact, we'd practiced there earlier
that day and had nothing but pleasant interactions with passersby, as
usual.  People smiling and waving, stopping to listen, bringing their
children up for a closer look at the instruments.  Never once have we
had a complaint from a neighbor or so much as a cross word from
anyone.  We've always respected the space and left it as clean or
cleaner than when we arrived.

       When we made the decision to play under the bridge that night we had
no idea that there had been an instance of vandalism in the park the
night before.  We had no knowledge of the memorial to Officer Sciullo
or that the park had been re-named in his honor.  We empathize with
the friends and family of Officer Sciullo and meant no disrespect.
That night we elected to play at our usual spot under the bridge,
unaware that the circumstances would be any different than the dozens
of other times we'd played there.  The variety show was scheduled to
be over at 10 pm, so we set up and were prepared to play at that time.
 We figured we'd play for a half hour or 45 minutes at the most, well
under the park's 11 pm closing time.  Unfortunately, the variety show
lasted longer than expected and by the time most of the people arrived
under the bridge it was about 10:45.  Being there, set up, and ready
to play, we decided to go ahead with the show.

       Make no mistake about it, we were in the area under the bridge after
11, the night after vandalism had occurred nearby.  This is where our
fault ends and that of the 5th precinct police force begins.  Around
11:20 pm we saw the flicker of police lights behind the bridge pier
and stopped playing music.  We stood there for a minute or two,
hearing no instructions from the police, until finally one police
officer came around the pier and approached us.  He walked up and
asked, "Who's in charge here?"  One of our members replied calmly, "No
one's in charge," and began to attempt to explain the situation.
Before he could utter another word, the officer abruptly turned and
roughly grabbed a different member of the band, cuffing his hands
behind his back with no provocation or explanation, his 25 lb.
accordian still strapped to the front of his body.  When he asked the
officer if he could remove the instrument, the officer pushed him
along saying, "No, it's better this way."  This act provoked a
response from the crowd of people watching and from there the
situation spiraled downward.

       Imagine a different scenario in which the officer would have
approached the band and said something like, "Alright, time to pack it
up and go home. Park's closed."  We would have left calmly and peacefully.  
It could have been that simple.

       Instead, the police complicated things by acting with excessive force
and rampant unprofessionalism, screaming obscenities and barking
disparate orders at people who, by and large, were attempting to
comply with the officers' commands.  People were ordered to "Get the
fuck out of here!" and "Sit the fuck down!" by different officers
within 10 feet of one another.  Thus, the police increased the chaos
exponentially.

       We have agreed to speak of our experience only in general terms so as
not to confuse the legal process in the cases of those arrested.  The
specifics of what we saw and heard will go undescribed for now.  We do
hope, when the time is right, that more people will be compelled to
make public statements of their experiences so that the Pittsburgh
Police force might be made to understand that we, the citizenry that
pays their salary and whom they are sworn to protect, will not
tolerate the type of travesty that occurred under the Bloomfield
Bridge.  What a waste.  A waste of time and a waste of resources.
       

    As longtime Pittsburgh citizens, workers, and taxpayers, we are
appalled at the behavior of the police force on the night of May 4th.
As a band we have toured in the U.S. and in Mexico and have had
dealings with the police more than once over the legalities of playing
in public places.  We would like to note that the police in Mexico,
known for perpetrating injustice and corruption, treated us with far
more respect and reason than the Pittsburgh Police did that night.
      

    Conversely, we would like to whole-heartedly thank everyone involved
in organizing, making phone calls, taking time to check in and make
sure everyone was o.k., bringing food to the people waiting outside
the jail, and donating money to post bail to get people out of jail,
to get cars out of the impound lot.  These are the times that make us
proud to live in this town, proud to be part of this community.  This
is why we are here and it's a huge part of why we play music.  The
desire to bring people together, to feel connected.