Rolling Stone: Music Venues, Shut Down Over COVID-19, Are Now Havens for Protesters
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Rolling Stone: Music venues, such as Washington D.C.’s 9:30 club, have become safe spaces for protestors to take bathroom breaks, clear their eyes of pepper spray, and receive basic first-aid. Saturday May 30th, 2020 amidst anti-police brutality protests, the 9:30 club opened its doors for 5 hours for protestors. The 9:30 club isn’t the only one to open its doors, many music venues across the country have joined despite their venues being closed due to the pandemic.
The call for safe spaces amongst protests, was initiated by a group called “Open Your Lobby.” This group formed after observing that protestors lacked spaces to find refuge and meet basic human needs, such as bathroom breaks. The thought to reach out to music venues stemmed from the observation that many venues are centrally located and have resources that have gone unused for weeks.
