this with various education rather than to propagate intolerance. thank you. >> good evening. i am a student. i am also a raver. do not get rid of electronic music festivals. you are getting rid of culture that is world renowned, a culture everyone knows is about peace, love, unity, and respect. i am at a loss of words right now. if you do decide to get rid of them, you release an artistic point of view from myself. it is more or less an expression

of what we like to do. it is something we would like to get off our chests and to release steam each week. thank you for your time. >> my name is reza, also known as dirty hertz. i have been deejaying and promoting here since 1997. i want to give you a little different perspective. i grew up in iran during the revolution and sought a regime change from the shock to the islamic republic -- saw their regime change from the shah to the islamic republic. music has been part of our culture for centuries. now, music and dance does not matter. people could freely dance indoor

and outdoor without scrutiny. after the revolution, hard-line religious clerics banned public dancing for men and women. all the music that represented the western culture and persian music became illegal overnight. after thousands of years, dancing and listening to music became something you could only do in the privacy of your own home. as the pressure of the government group against the youth, they took a different direction. i went back two years ago and saw what was going on behind doors with the youth. believe it or not, the party's over there are so extreme and over the top. that is the result of pressure and oppression. large gatherings with music and dance are part of human culture.

let me repeat that. it is part of human culture and should not be banned for any reason. some lawmakers used the words of drugs and death as a justification to ban the gatherings. the same people will send the youth as our military to die in wars and will feed and drugs to their kids were having too much energy. i wish i could keep on going. [applause] commissioner lacroix: i would like to call the next names. monica salazar, diana haris, claire stephenson, sandra mayez. >> thank you for the opportunity to speak. i am an entrepreneur, software

engineer, and writer. i have been going to raise -- raves in san francisco for over 20 years. my significant other and i visit the city for the events we like here. we like the positive energy and the friends we have met on the scene for so many years. it is a huge part above our lives. when i was general manager at microsoft, i hired san francisco's geomagnetic to make videos based on things i had seen at raves. the following up on the constitutional aspects, the freedom to assemble is constitutionally protected. there is often political speech as well. a great example was playing on castro on peak -- pink saturday

after the marriage equality decision in 2008. there is a rich freedom of expression tradition. i hope san francisco will work with the community to take the focus on harm reduction and keep these events safe and available for everybody. thank you very much. [applause] president newlin: just come right up. >> my name is monica salazar. i am 37 years old. i think you for allowing us to have a voice today. i just recently moved to san francisco, but i have been coming to the city to dance music events for many years. i absolutely love it.

it is part of my life. i grew up in the '90s, going to ucla. i lived in l.a. and was quite frightened by the raves because i did not do drugs and thought it was a crazy scene, but i love the music and always held let close to my heart. as i became older and let go of the fears and judgments of people and allowed and embraced that community to come into my life, i was able to appreciate people that actually produce these events and bring international deejays to e u.s., and became very close with many of the deejays and the production crews and the laser and lights and staging people who put on these amazing productions we all love so much. i co-founded an organization called dna, which stands for

electronic music alliance, with can jordan from the crystal method and my friend janine. we do many things to uphold what responsibilities we have in the dance community and embrace the environmental issues and causes and promote awareness here in the state, but also worldwide. we do a lot of great things across the globe. i just really wanted to express that we are a great community. we love each other. we take care of each other. >> before the next speaker, i am going to call a bunch of names. if you are downstairs, there are seats up here. the following people, come up. tara zumar, brian vanwinkle, howard fallen, forrest french,

chloe donnelly, melody haden. it looks like adam ha. jonathan castro. anthony james, carson day, catrina enrico, hannah nessens, lisa galloway. if your name has been called and you are in the first five, stand there. if not, take a seat. >> come right up, people waiting to speak. >> thank you. >> my name is guy hara. i am a software engineer.

i have not prepared any detailed remarks. but i came here for the reason everyone else has come here. that is because music is deeply important to me. the events that are under consideration for regulation are deeply amazing and important events for me. while i completely understand the concern about regrettable and unfortunate incidents with people who overindulge, or whatever it is, there are far more fatalities, injuries, accidents, and harm done to the youth of this country by family abuse, from alcohol, from any

number of things. these events and this music and the culture that you have heard people testifying to tonight is really -- it is what this country was founded four. it is what the people in the middle east right now are throwing themselves against tanks and guns for. it is freedom and love. freedom and love. and that is not going to change, whether these events are regulated or not. my life would be unrecognizable were it not for the impact of this music. thank you. >> think you all for being here this evening.

i am a san francisco resident, a small-business owner, and a raver. i support the electronic dance music community and wish to see it protected. i am 34. i have danced to electronic music for 20 years. it has been a source of community, meditation, and exercise for me while being a productive member of society. while dancing to electronic dance music, i learned by high school diploma, three bachelor's degrees with honors, learned four foreign languages, interned at the european parliament, lived in four countries, held many jobs, and started my own small business. i hire californians. i insure californians. my business fosters economic growth and employment in california.

i am dedicated to what i do. this is possible because i dance. these events have always been the safest social environment for me to dance and the part of the community. please preserve our constitutional rights. thank you. >> good evening. i want to thank you for having this dialogue. on a personal note, my brother in law and many friends are deejays of electronic music. i can tell you that each one of them care more about their audiences than any performer you will ever meet. the king here today to read a letter from my friend, a soldier who is living for afghanistan soon, who says electronic music and events in san francisco have made him a better leader of his platoon. the supreme court judge ruled in

favor of protecting the constitutional rights of the westborough baptist -- westboro a baptist church to spread hatred at the funeral support soldiers. yet we would restrict the right to those who want to express themselves through dance and creativity. banning the right to protest would have set a precedent that could have lead to meaningful protests by others being banned in the future. the same president must be applied here. one could argue that most electronic music rarely if ever carries explicit or negative messages, but the medium of music itself has been used to express meaningful political opinions. based on this court ruling, to restrict one style of live performance is an assault on the entire political medium. the only types of free speech that can be built are those that are obscene, slanderous, or inside violence.

electronic music does not follow any of these restrictions. this bill is clearly unconstitutional. my friend lives for afghanistan in 10 days. he uses electronic music to get his soldiers through the war as separate as possible. he hopes when he returns to san francisco he will have a place to dance. >> good evening. on behalf of everyone here in the room and the people downstairs, thank you to what is left of the youth committee and the entertainment committee. my name is anthony james. i also go by the name rocco dynamite. i am also a general manager of an auto shop in san francisco. i have been a musician for over

20 years. the last five, i have been hosting events as a promoter and throwing parties here in san francisco. i can go on and on about how electronic dance music and raves has made my life more positive, but we are here because of the growing concern of unsafe and venues, drug use, illegal parties, and violence that clubs here in san francisco. mostly, the non-permitted events -- just to stop there, we can cut it all out, but it is going to drive the youth underground, to wear myself and other promoters in this room do not have the resources to have proper security and to regulate the drug use and the alcohol consumption, and the security. you take that away from us and it will go to where we cannot control it. also, i believe this bill is

unwarranted in many areas, and unnecessarily targets and reprimands and restricts the promoters like myself, and venue owners, from creating revenue and the business needed to pay over heads in their clubs. that being said, not to mention the patrons after 2:00 a.m. that are buying gas, eating in the diners, paying four times after hours -- this is revenue the city needs. the issue with illegal drug use -- >> the think the community can regulate itself? >> absolutely. what you need is a tighter clamp on security, metal detectors, cutter searches for drugs in people's pockets when they go into drugs, and there is your problem right there. >> can you do that?

>> absolutely. but if the stop dance music, you are hurting the scene, a venue owners, and promoters like myself. it is a matter of clamping down on security. there is your issue with drug use and violence. tighter security, and there is your problem solved. you cannot put the blame on venue owners and promoters. dance music and dancing have been part of life since the beginning of time. it is not the club owners. it is patrons who are irresponsible and doing things in the wrong fashion and the wrong manner. it is also venue owners and promoters who do not have tight enough security. putter security, cutter surges into the clubs and parties. there you go. >> my name is brian van winkle. i am a student at southern

oregon university, a seventh generation san franciscan. many of these accusations come from a great ignorance of the music scene, and here say based on a small percentage of participants. any large group of people will naturally have a few bad apples. we are sending a message that this chandra of music is particularly bad, despite the fact that the music and the scene have no inherent purple properties. most of the music does not even have words. even though there is other music out there with specific references to drugs and acts of violence, which are specifically fighting electronic music because it has a bad reputation. denying this music scene because it makes people uncomfortable is a violation of constitutional rights of free speech and assembly. when a close bars because of our call related deaths every year? this is not simply a californian or an american scene, but a worldwide sensation. this music is played over

europe, south america, and india. all of these countries are able to regulate and support this music. why is it that the leader of the free world is trying to man an art form -- ban an art form from the public? to deny the scene altogether robs us of the beauty and expression of the voice of our generation. >> thank you, members of the commission. i am a san francisco resident, a fourth generation 1. i am a musician. i support and applaud the electronic dance music scene and community and wish to see it protected. when you were young, depending on the decade, you had sock hops, discos, underground dance clubs, and more.

today, the music is a little faster and louder and the lighting is dynamic and vibrant. these dances are called raves or electronic music events. music includes dub step, house, and funk. people go to relax from stress at their job, to make new friends that gathered for the same sort of activities. i realize some people abuse the rights accord they go to these parties and come on illegal drugs like acid and ecstasy, but the majority of us do not. the majority of us what the music take us higher. in any community, there are people who do drugs. would you rather have these teenagers in a safe setting where they can enjoy themselves, then be out on their streets risking their lives and the lives of others around them? when you were at one of these parties, you realize something that has been lost in american culture. it does not matter what race,

background, culture, religion, or sexual orientation you are. in that moment, all of us are the same. we are all human beings in search of a good time. being young adults of california, we know our rights and know when they are being violated. this lot if passed would violate one of the most basic rights we have as citizens of the united states of america, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. [applause] >> my name is sandra. i like to go to clubs because i love to dance. the whole experience is amazing. when you first get there, everyone is super friendly, amazingly nice. for example, if you are waiting in line and your friends are five people ahead of you and are talking with them, you have people telling you to go wait in

line with your friends. we are all good to get in eventually. people downstairs in the overflow room have all been at events like this. the relationships change lives. peace, love, unity, and respect. everyone there months to to have a good time your own way, whichever way that is. because of this, there is a less likely chance of someone possibly dropping something into your drink. i feel safer at these venues. these clubs have proper security measures, like putting people down when they come in, checking backpacks, having more bouncers and security in the club's. i drive an hour to these venues as opposed to a 15 minute drive to clubs i do not feel safe at. people from all over come to the

city for an experience. if you were to go through with passing this bill, think of what it would do to the city economy. the cash flow that comes from the clubs is expensive, such as the parking, the cover charges, the alcohol consumption, the various food and craft vendors, and the fees for the venues themselves. san francisco has thrived on every aspect of this city. >> thank you for having this hearing today. my name is clear. i am 25. i am a mother. i have been going to parties since i was 7. i just wanted to talk about the bill and what it is a little fishy to me.

it seems like there is an underlying misconception that is apparent to the bill. it is ignorance toward the function of dance parties in our culture. there is common sense apparent in the belief that preventing viable options will solve whatever problems arise from these gatherings. that is an oversimplified solution. it will do more harm to our culture, easily seen in past prohibition cases like alcohol and abortion, where public health and safety was at stake in the face of misplaced ideals. the more logical answer to solving the problem is to hone and regulatory practices, and allowing the community to have a platform to bring concerns to the political table, and vice versa, like we are doing here today. it is an act of disrespect to not allow these events to take place at certain venues while green lighting other musical

acts and festivals, some that harbor just as many if not more serious safety issues for people who attend. and i say more because i believe no other music-based event has the built in community this scene has fostered. i believe it is more important for lawmakers to represent the people's wishes them to support discrimination of a sect of the community. this bill is discriminatory because it singles out electronic dance music as the cause of problems that can and do occur in any social gathering. i would be pleased to see irresolution that appeases safety through standardized regulations. >> thank you for having this tonight. the come to support electronic music events in san francisco. i cannot stress enough how

limiting two minutes is for me to describe the passion i have for this -- for these events. i fell 30 feet off the cliff in santa cruz. i shuttered my back. after sustaining injuries, i worked hard at my recovery so i would be able to attend electronic events. i have travelled over an hour and a half to attend such events. they are being shut down. not only is that putting a damper on my eating plants, but it costs the city of san francisco financially. if i do not attend these events, i head back home. the only other venue pays -- charges high door fees. i can play with him -- i can pay $15 to death at an event info for ibm. i will stay at a hotel in san francisco. please do not take these events away from me or other

supporters room. these events are a huge part of who i am. thank you. >> good evening. my name is chloe donnelly. i am a san francisco raver. it saddens me that we are criminalizing a community founded on love and a mutual perception of people music that creates duty between people. this does not understand the culture is about. i will keep it short, but the community is about a home. it is about being part of something. it touches my heart to see how many familiar faces came out to support tonight. if the strike to take these events away, as a community that spends our stance in our hearts out, we are not want to take it sitting down.

-- that spends hours dancing our hearts out, we are not going to take it sitting down. >> i am a student and an aspiring filmmaker. i attend electronic events. i am a first-generation native. my dad came from the dominican republic. my mom came from panama. they met in a supermarket in the mission. i love this city. as a videographer, for the past year and a half these events have become a source of income for me. i have gained a great amount of experience, exposure, and have met a lot of great people. this community is a very welcoming place. filmmaking and music is my passion and my career. these events and this city to allow me to express my passion and share it with the world. i hope this opportunity stays

for the future youth of california and we can allow san francisco to continue to be the diverse and amazing city is known to be around the world. i just want to make a point. the gentleman for me said most people at these events are on ecstasy. i for one do not take drugs. i know a lot of people who go to these events just for the music, because we love the music. thank you for your time. >> i am a san francisco native of 25 years. thank you for having me tonight. i heard about this a while ago and felt it very important to come down. i have been working all day today with san francisco recreation and park. i rushed down so i could speak. i should start by saying i am a musician and audio engineer with roots in the electronic dance