Arkansas Governor Threatens Police Action If Socially Distanced Concert Goes Ahead
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson doubled down on the state’s plan to block a socially distanced, reduced-capacity Travis McCready concert planned for Friday, saying that law enforcement would be utilized if necessary. The state issued a cease-and-desist order against the event on Tuesday.
The show, which is scheduled to take place at the TempleLive venue in Fort Smith, was trumpeted as an experiment in reopening the concert industry by stock analysts ahead of Live Nation’s quarterly earnings last week, although the event is not promoted or produced by the company.
It has been marred by conflicting statements and agendas. Indoor venues in Arkansas, including arenas and theaters, can reopen on May 18 at reduced capacity as long as they follow social distancing measures. While TempleLive has said it plans to operate with its capacity reduced to 20%, from 1,100 to 229 people, in order to allow for social distancing, the governor issued the order based on the fact that the state’s reopening does not officially begin until May 18, and the concert is scheduled for the 15th.
Told by a reporter that promoters have not agreed to move the concert, per interviews with news outlets on Tuesday, the governor replied, “I’m not aware of that information. We issued a cease-and-desist order and we expect the law to be complied with. [Any attempt to go ahead with the concert] would be disappointing and obviously would encounter some consequences if that’s the direction that they pursue.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/arkansas-governor-threatens-police-action-194312217.html
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