Video Shows Late-Night Brawl After Art Walk
Still from video by Joel Kuwahara
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — New rules put in place to spread out crowds at the Downtown Art Walk last Thursday seemed to have largely positive effects, but video of a late-night brawl outside the Down & Out bar at 5th and Spring shows a scary scene in which the driver of a vehicle appears to get dragged into the fight.
According to reports from residents in the Rowan Lofts, the fight broke out just before 2am. One email forwarded to blogdowntown says that up to 100 people may have been involved.
The video, taken by Joel Kuwahara and posted on Vimeo, appears to confirm reports that a driver stranded by the fight was pulled from his or her vehicle and into the fray.
According to reports, several arrests were made, but not before the fighting had gone on for an uncomfortably long time.
The crowd outside the bar stretched down 5th Street for most of the night.
Kel Kontraire on August 16, 2011, at 06:46PM – #1
Doubtful this post gets much attention. Like all negatives about downtown... just pretend it isn't happening... If I were in charge, and I saw this, I would shut down Artwalk in a heartbeat. As if it weren't bad enough! At least impose a curfew. The late night Artwalk crowds are so frightening. The looks on the kids faces, the ones who crowd the streets after dark, after the galleries are closed... it's one of malicious intent. Where were the cops? I guess they got paid and left for the night. This is nuts. Half a block from where I live! I am so indignant that this crap is going on in my neighborhood.
Stuart on August 16, 2011, at 07:09PM – #2
Life imitates art(lessness)...
Christopher Eaton on August 16, 2011, at 07:56PM – #3
@Kel: Your statement about the look of "malicious intent" on the faces of the kids walking the streets after the galleries close is a bit preposterous. I'm 43 and out with the lively crowd and thoroughly enjoy it. I live exactly no blocks away from the ArtWalk, and I still love it. I'm actually very happy that Broadway is where the trucks are centered now because I've long thought that that street should be a major part of the affair every month. As for this "brawl", the cops should simply be out in force all evening.
Kim Cooper on August 16, 2011, at 09:46PM – #4
Something similar happened during the July Art Walk, and was also videotaped. Troubling images.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_pOU58h6KM&feature=youtu.be
Ginny-Marie Case on August 16, 2011, at 10:25PM – #5
This is sad. So, food trucks don't serve alcohol...but they were banished to Vibiana's. But Spring is looking the same.
Alexandra Leh on August 16, 2011, at 10:53PM – #6
kel: yes.
christopher: i live here, too...and you're more tolerant than i.
kim: that vid was taken the same night the baby was killed...i know because i saw it from my window in pacific electric lofts. and the girl was so drunk, she didn't know she'd just been to las perlas on 6th b/t main and los angeles.
btw (and this is only slightly off-topic), saturday afternoon's beer crawl created a nasty drunken brawl between 3 kids who had come from las perlas: two drunken girls broke into a fight and a young drunken man threw one of the girls down to the sidewalk and repeatedly kicked her in the face, until one of the security guards from my building broke it up.
so, ginny: it IS sad...because the problem with art walk isn't the food trucks, it's the alcohol that fuels the stupidity. which begs the question: who's providing the fuel? are the underaged drunks BYOB? and are the bartenders ignoring their cutoff prerogative, in the interest of making a healthy bank for the bars?
is this the cool+classy downtown los angeles i was promised back in 2005? notsomuch.
Kel Kontraire on August 16, 2011, at 11:12PM – #7
@Christopher, if my observations are so "preposterous," then why did this brawl happen? Why did it happen in July? Why was there an altercation in front of my building last Thursday that the cops broke up before it escalated? I think your rose colored glasses might be distorting your perception. ArtWalk used to be a pleasant experience, but now it's gotten way out of control.
Oscar on August 17, 2011, at 08:11AM – #8
About 6 months ago... or so there were some kids gang banging outside the LATC they basically were telling and asking passers by where they came from, trying to start a fight, I told the police, they couldn't care less...
stefano on August 17, 2011, at 09:08AM – #9
and we still call this 'art walk'? i do not see many art lovers at these events, but i do see a mob of idiots stuffing their faces and crowding the streets. i really do not think this is in the best interest of our developing 'new downtown'
bbrown on August 17, 2011, at 09:24AM – #10
The downtown "experience" is oversold for the most part by local media. I lived near this location for several years and recently moved after too many disturbed evenings. The limitless proliferation of bars in the area is problematic. Yes, noise is to be expected in an urban core - but not regular weekend (and frequent weekday) and monthly chaos. Don't get me wrong - I love the transformation and it's great if you're 20something with no kids.
Thomas K Nagano on August 17, 2011, at 11:42AM – #11
I like bbrown's suggested new name for the Art Walk.
"The Downtown Experience"
Andrew on August 17, 2011, at 12:05PM – #12
I think this is much more a The Down and Out is a shitty/ ugly bar problem then a Art Walk problem.
readering on August 17, 2011, at 12:26PM – #13
Reminds me of the regular problems that used to occur after closing time around the Variety Arts Center before the Center closed down and LA Live and the surrounding apartment buildings went up. Kids will do this stuff somewhere. Question is where.
baddicus on August 17, 2011, at 10:48PM – #14
Fight Walk
EmilyL on August 18, 2011, at 12:45AM – #15
I agree with Andrew. I live down the street and it seems like this could happen any night outside the Down and Out. The crowd there just doesn't seem...safe. Most obviously by the pat-down you have to get just to go in.
Glenn Primm on August 18, 2011, at 01:01AM – #16
Andrew's point is well taken. I live on the 8th floor of the Alexandria basically straight over the bar and I hear this every single weekend. Every weekend, not just once a month. Drunken jilted lovers and schizophrenics at night and schizoids shouting about the bible during the day, all day.
This is not an Art Walk phenomena, it is the fault of the callus management of the Down and Out. (And what kind of people hang out in a bar named after the lowest stratum of society? It used to be called Charlie O's and was reasonably quiet.)
That said, it's the big city, a place where adults live. If you can't stand it, leave.
Accessory Loft on August 18, 2011, at 01:21AM – #17
This fight was outside of Down and Out, aka, dirty drug den where people go to buy prescription pills, heroin, and crack. Not to mention that corner is NOTORIOUS for drugs, prostitution, and oh yeah, armed robbery! Anyone remember the undercover cop who shot someone in broad daylight a few months ago? This is not an Artwalk problem, it's a 5th and Spring problem. Am I the only one who notices the difference between the south side (Down & Out) and the north side (The Last Bookstore) of 5th? I honestly belive that if the Down & Out was not on that corner, all of the drug dealers, prostitutes, etc would spread out their footprint a little. I know these problems won't go away overnight, but it would be nice if the cops started some kind of injunction in the area since that corner is run by a gang. Start with the people that just got arrested and go from there.
Stuart on August 18, 2011, at 09:39AM – #18
The last Artwalk was depressing. The cops really set the tone with their creepy announcements being broadcast from a roving PA system like a scene from 'District 9'. The LAPD, in my opinion, throws fuel on the fire with their jack-boot attitude, creating a mood of violence and oppression.
Then, of course, when they're needed, they've all reconvened at Denny's, oblivious to the trail of brutishness they've left behind.
Mr Whitman on August 18, 2011, at 10:14PM – #19
from art to dead babies to street brawls
got to love LA
got to be adventurous
love it or leave it
but please don't go
be patient
it's only life in transition
Zyr on August 19, 2011, at 04:14PM – #20
Artwalk doesn't need to be shutdown. We need to stop catering to the lowest common denominator. The Stock Exchange club on spring between 6th and 7th has fights every night it is open. If the bars catered more to downtowners we wouldn't have as many of these problems. Downtown needs to maintain it's artistry, and we need to demand that the bars, clubs and restaurants maintain an upscale vibe. you do this by calling cops everytime you see a fight; the cops will be so annoyed that they will start to put pressure on the clubs. I know this 'cause I use to manage a club. But people need to not tolerate the nonsense.