Whether it was rumor, confusion or folklore; the rules and regulations around busking in Newport have always been a bit of a mystery.
Following the recent incident in Providence regarding a gentleman being arrested for busking, Newport City Councilor Lynne Ceglie began an effort to clarify what is and isn’t allowed for busking and street performance in Newport.
“You know there’s always this confusion or unspoken ban on it and as a matter of fact I googled a couple of articles about Newport and busking and one article I think it was NPR RI said that it was banned in Newport, so I was a little confused about it especially in the light of the article having to do with that Providence musician,” Councilor Ceglie told me on Thursday on The Open Forum on AM 1540 WADK.
“I wanted to clarify the issue. I contact the city manager and the city solicitor and asked for an opinion. So I wrote this resolution so city council and community know that busking is a 1st Amendment right,” Councilor Ceglie continued.
Musicians who do busk are allowed to do so on public property (like a Queen Anne Square) or on private property with permission. Buskers may not block sidewalks and must follow noise ordinances and all other city ordinances that have to do with place, time and manner.
Listen to our full discussion with Councilor Ceglie below (interview runs from 10:00 to 32:00);
Listen to The Open Forum with Ryan Belmore every weekday from 12:30pm to 2pm on AM 1540 WADK.
