John Ajilo, known on social media as the street artist “Dancing is Happiness“, was arrested last week at a Midtown subway station after multiple complaints from the MTA.
New York City Police officers responded June 23 at around 10:30 p.m. to the Herald Square subway station after receiving complaints of an unauthorized performer “impeding the flow of pedestrians and using a sound reproduction device.
The Police Department alleges that the artist received multiple warnings to leave the premises without any enforcement action being taken. After refusing to leave the station and showing identification, authorities said Ajilo was taken into custody and removed.
“The MTA has rules of conduct that are for the safety of all passengers and employees and are not optional. We appreciate the Mayor’s and Police Commissioner’s commitment to keeping New Yorkers safe by ensuring those rules are followed throughout the transit system,” said Pat Warren, director of safety and security for the MTA, in a statement acquired by our sister network NBC New York.
Ajilo accumulates more than 50,000 followers on Instagram and 80,000 on TikTok, platforms on which he published a statement along with two videos of the arrest.
in the opening videothe musical artist is seen telling the police, “I am not obstructing the law” and “I am not committing any crime”, before five officers surround him and handcuff him.
“I was locked up in handcuffs and taken to the police station for performing at the same location 34th Herald Square, I had been performing on and off for about five years. The police always see me there every time and encourage me too,” the post read. .
Under the Subway Performance Rules, the MTA allows “artistic performances” within the system only if the shows do not impede traffic activities and are performed following certain guidelines, one of which includes interfering with “passenger movement”.
NBC New York has reached out to the street artist for comment and is awaiting a response.
Online fans and New Yorkers alike are outraged by the incident and saddened by the subway artist, who has posted numerous merry dances with commuters and robotic cartoon animals.
Ajilo was issued a citation at the Transit District and later released with his instrument and animatronics, which the subway artist claimed were damaged.
A GoFundMe page called JazzAjilo arrested for playing on the New York subway was created on Sunday. Originally, Ajilo was asking for $50,000 to cover “court and attorney fees, as well as lost income.”
Within 24 hours, the fundraising exceeded the first goal and the group increased the amount to $100,000. To date, more than $63,000 has been raised in his support.
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