Chicago street performer arrested during performance says he is being targeted

CHICAGO - A Chicago street performer said he got arrested Friday night in the middle of his performance in front of the Wrigley Building.

Street performer arrested outside Wrigley Building

The backstory:

Fox Chicago confirmed with Chicago police that the citation against Andrew David was for a noise violation. David has been performing on Chicago streets for nearly a decade. He says street performing has allowed him to connect with people from around the world and become part of the city's fabric. But David says his latest performance outside the Wrigley Building ended with him in handcuffs.

David says he was performing Friday night when a Chicago police officer approached him and asked him to turn down the volume. He says he complied multiple times.

"He asked me to turn it down. I turned it down," David said. "I sang a song, he asked me to turn it down again. I turned it down again."

David says he was eventually told he was under arrest. CPD took his performance equipment and, according to the citation, he was accused of violating the city's noise ordinance. David disputes that allegation.

He says he is licensed to perform in public and was on a public right of way shortly after 9 p.m. Friday, before the city's cutoff time for street performers. David says he has also tested his sound levels with a decibel reader and has never come close to violating the ordinance.

"I've never even come close to being in violation of that," David said.

David says this is not the first time he has been cited while performing outside the Wrigley Building. He says previous citations were dismissed by a judge for lack of evidence. 

Dig deeper:

David believes the latest arrest is part of a pattern of enforcement directed specifically at him. He says he has seen other street performers continue to perform outside the building without facing the same level of enforcement.

David says police took the equipment he relies on to make a living. He says he had to buy replacement gear over the weekend, including a new speaker and other equipment.

"I don't take it lightly, the fact that I have a very sustainable income from street performing," David said.

David says the arrest was traumatic and that it also came during a difficult stretch in which he has been robbed twice while performing over the last two months. Still, he says he is determined to keep going.

"And I keep singing," David said. "If anything, I built resilience."

What's next:

David says he plans to fight the arrest and citation. He is also reaching out to attorneys and civil rights organizations as he considers possible legal action. David says he wants accountability and wants to make sure other street performers do not feel they could be arrested while following the rules of their licenses. Despite everything, he says he plans to continue performing.

"I feel so supported in the city," David said. "I feel connected with the city and with my fans and followers and the new people that I'm meeting each and every day that I am out here."

Fox Chicago reached out to the Wrigley Building and its management team for comment about the noise complaint and David's allegations. We are still waiting to hear back.

David said his court date is September 3rd.

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