Police Disperse Singers On Charles River Bank

Police officers of the Metropolitan District Commission broke up an impromptu folk sing on the Charles River bank yesterday afternoon with the declaration that singing and playing musical instruments is illegal on MDC land.

A dozen musicians including concert star Joan Baez, the Charles River Valley Boys, and the Jim Keveskin Jug Band had attracted a quiet crowd of some 150 sunbathers when the MDC officers drove up and scattered them. Miss Baez had appeared at the Donnelly Memorial Theatre Saturday night.

"Break it up; go back to your rooms and sing," ordered the officers. "Singing on MDC land is against the law of the Common wealth."

One participant who challenged the policeman was told, "If I hear any more comments I'm going to put you in the wagon."

Singers Leave Peacefully

The musicians, who had been playing sporadically for nearly two hours on the bank in front of Winthrop House, packed their guitars and harmonicas and rambled off across Memorial Drive. One singer offered the parting comment, "Well, folk singing is Communistic, anyway."

Contacted at MDC headquarters, an officer stated that according to MDC regulations, "entertainment" on the Charles' bank is illegal without written permission from the police captain. "Sometimes he grants it, sometimes he doesn't. It depends on his mood," said the officer.

"We'll probably overlook a group of two or three singers, but when you get 20 or 30, that's different," he stated. The officer explained that such groups "could cause a disturbance."

Folk singing along the Charles is not a new occurrence. Large crowds gathered to listen to musicians on the riverbank last spring without arousing police action. One musician recalled a Sunday last spring when two MDC officers stopped and listened to a gospel-sing for over an hour and then simply drove off.

Asked if there would be any protest against yesterday's police action, one folksinger commented, "Well, I suppose we might just go down there and sing next Sunday and see what happens."