Thomas Breen photos
EastCoastin organizers Sal Fusco and Gabe Canestri Jr. (left): This event is going ahead. Mayor Justin Elicker and Chief Dominguez (right): Prepare for arrests.
EastCoastin’s Forbes Avenue meeting place.
Dueling press conferences in the Annex Wednesday painted an upcoming motorcycle event as a potential scene of disruptive and illegal “chaos” — or one of safe and controlled “joy.”
Both sides seemed to agree on at least one point: Like it or not, thousands of motorcyclists will be descending on Forbes Avenue Saturday. So get ready, New Haven.
Those press conferences took place back to back Wednesday morning outside of the New Haven Police Department substation at 830 Woodward Ave.
The first was held by Mayor Justin Elicker and Interim Police Chief Renee Dominguez. The second held by EastCoastin founders and organizers Gabe Canestri Jr. and Sal Fusco.
The annual event is slated to take place this Saturday. That’s when city officials and EastCoastin organizers expect up to 3,000 motorcyclists from across the country to drive down to the Hole in the Wall motorcycle club on Forbes Avenue, and to fill the Annex’s surrounding industrial streets. Police have sought to discourage people from attending by posting on social media that the event has been “cancelled.” The organizers have insisted on social media that, whatever the NHPD says, the event is still taking place.
Mayor, Police: “If We Need To Charge, We Will”
Elicker and top police brass on Woodward Ave. on Wednesday.
Backed by a half-dozen white-shirted police supervisors, Elicker and Dominguez took one more stab at convincing EastCoastin organizers and attendees to stay home on Saturday.
“We want to make absolutely clear that this event is not permitted and will not be tolerated,” Elicker said.
“New Haven is a place where people deserve to feel safe. They deserve to have a high quality of life. We are telling people: Do not come to this event. Do not come to this event if you care about New Haven’s public safety. Do not come to this event if you care about the fact that we’re devoting police resources to this event [that could be directed elsewhere.] Do not come to this event if you respect our city.”
Both Elicker and Dominguez acknowledged, however, that — despite their admonitions — thousands of motorcyclists will likely be coming to Forbes Avenue anyway this weekend, just as they’ve done for each of the past five years.
Dominguez estimated that 10,000 people attended last year’s EastCoastin event. She described the event as “disruptive,” and then backtracked on that word, saying it was too “kind” of a way to describe what happened.
“There was a lot of chaos,” she said. “There was a lot of individuals not following the law.”
She and the mayor said that New Haven will have a “significant” police presence in and around Forbes Avenue on Saturday.
“Parking will be enforced,” Dominguez said. “Ticketing and towing will be enforced. And, if necessary, arrests will be made.”
Arrests for what kinds of offenses?
For everything from motor vehicle violations to, potentially, “inciting a riot,” Dominguez said. She said the NHPD is in contact with the state’s attorney’s office about what kinds of charges might be appropriate for what kinds of activity wind up taking place at the EastCoastin event.
Dominguez said that the local police department issued warrants for “several individuals after the fact” following last year’s EastCoastin event. “If we need to charge, we will,” she said about this year’s gathering.
Dominguez and Hill Alder Carmen Rodriguez.
Hill Alder Carmen Rodriguez said that EastCoastin doesn’t affect just the Annex. Its impact ripples out citywide.
She said she was on Long Wharf during last year’s EastCoastin event and saw thousands of motorcyclists, many revving their engines and riding to and from the Annex.
“Chaos erupts” when EastCoastin takes place, she said. “Shame on these two young men” for going ahead with this event without a legal permit. “We have two selfish young men who are going to fill their pockets” and leave the city in disarray.
Click here to watch that first press conference.
EastCoastin Organizers: “Motorcycles Bring A Lot Of Joy”
Fusco and Canestri.
Right after the official city press conference ended Wednesday, Fusco and Canestri held an impromptu presser of their own, during which they defended the annual motorcycle event and described it as safe, clean, and inevitable.
“We don’t want to make this chaos,” Fusco said. “We want to make this a good time.” Where motorcyclists can come down for one day, enjoy each others’ company, drive around a little, maybe enjoy a few motorcycle tricks, and then head home safe and sound.
Fusco and Canestri said they tried to work with the city and the police on making the event legal and permitted. They said they never got a clear answer from the city on what they needed to do make the event legit. (The mayor and police chief, meanwhile, said they have spoken with the organizers for months, pointing them toward how to pull the appropriate permit and limit the event to a legal and reasonable size. They said the organizers dragged their feet.)
Fusco and Canestri said that area hotels are already sold out for people looking to attend the event. Even if the organizers put out a message saying EastCoastin is cancelled, which they won’t be doing, people would still show up anyway, they said.
“We can say it. But they’re still going to want to come to New Haven to see all the cool spots here,” Fusco said.
“No matter what we say,” Canestri added, “people are still going to come to this area. It is what it is, at this point. People are gonna come, and we’re gonna stay true to it.”
What happens at a typical EastCoastin gathering?
Fusco said the group has “some of the best Harley Davidson stunt riders” in the country attend. People come out to “watch motorcycle stunts, burnouts, things like that. There’s food in the backyard. It’s free. People just come to watch and enjoy it.”
“Motorcycles bring a lot of joy,” Fusco added. “We hope people come, have a good time, stay safe,” and head home — with no arrests, and in good spirits.
Fusco and Canestri also said that, from what they understand, the Hells Angels will not be attending and will not be providing security at Saturday’s event. A source told the Independent for a previous article that the Hells Angels would be providing “tight security” on Saturday. Fusco and Canestri said they didn’t know where that rumor came from, and that it’s not true.
Click here to watch their presser.