12/17/2020 Somerville City Council passed the following two orders to stop scapegoating musicians:

1. That the administration provided clear guidelines on how and when creatives/freelancers are able to start working again.

2. That the administration provide a more uniform and justifiable decision on the banning of activities due to Covid-19.

-Submitted by City Councilor Wilfred Mbah on behalf of a Somerville resident and musician.

Thank you very much to Councilor Mbah, the entire City Council, and everyone who helped this cause by writing letters of support to the City Council, or signing our petition, or supporting our local music community in any way!

Our position on this issue:

Somerville is the only city that opened indoor hockey but never outdoor music. The state placed both activities in phase 3 step 1, demonstrating a scientific consensus that both activities were expected to have an equal risk of transmission. Opening indoor hockey but banning outdoor music in Somerville alone did nothing to protect public health while both activities were allowed next door in Cambridge, Boston, and the rest of MA during summer 2020. Other cities even opened true outdoor venues; Somerville only had restaurant patios and banned music from them all. Opening an indoor activity with contact while banning an outdoor activity with well established rules on distancing and capacity did nothing to protect public health, it was only the scapegoating tactic of a strongman to look tough on corona.

Our actions:

All food sales were split between 50% paid to musicians and 50% donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center, between the time Somerville opened indoor hockey and when the window closed for musicians to work safely in 2020, because it was too cold outdoors so we closed completely to stop the spread indoors.

Because of your support we paid musicians and donated to SPLC a combined total of $2,616.