Wes Schulz of the Lumineers won’t play again until GV City Council holds police accountable

“Fiddler’s Green is one of the largest sales tax generating establishments in Greenwood Village”

On Friday, July 18, Colorado musicians Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, along with Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers notified the mayor and all members of the Greenwood Village City Council that they will boycott GV’s Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre until the city council rescinds its July 6 resolution. News reports also named The Flobots and DeVotchKa as being aligned with the plan to boycott the GV venue. Their letter to the mayor and city council said:

“We have the utmost respect for police who stand to serve and protect. We also believe that when this sacred relationship with the community is violated that accountability is vital. This common-sense measure will help push all of us to a more just, accountable, and peaceful relationship.

We were appalled last week to learn that the City of Greenwood Village, CO passed a resolution to undermine the applicability of SB20-217 within its community. The Greenwood Village City Council approved Resolution 40-20 to cover all legal costs and any civil liability for which police officers have been found guilty of unjustified abuse--even when that officer acts in bad faith. The new resolution shockingly predetermined all future police abuse as justified to further shield bad officers from enforcement mechanisms created within SB20-217.

We not only stand with artists and fans attending future performances at the Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater in Greenwood Village when concerts resume, but we will not play music there until Greenwood Village rescinds its recent resolution permitting police to act without accountability. The concerts held at Fiddler’s Green attract a diverse audience who could be at risk when facing the virtually all-white Greenwood Village Police Department with their newly enshrined impunity, courtesy of The Greenwood Village City Council.

Furthermore, Fiddler’s Green is one of the largest sales tax generating establishments in Greenwood Village. Artists and fans should not be forced to financially support a City government that has established such racist policies to perform in Colorado or see their favorite artists perform locally. In fact, no one should.”

That evening, July 19, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone publicly announced “how much respect and appreciation I have for what Nathaniel Rateliff is doing back in Colorado. The fact that we have some of the best musicians in the world located in Denver, taking that stance to boycott Fiddler’s Green in Greenwood Village and support the Black Lives Matter movement, I think is outstanding.”

There has been no indication that anyone on the GV City Council is considering backing away from the resolution. In an interview with DENVER7 News, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kerber, who sponsored the resolution and is serving his sixth term on the council, said, “I can understand why people would say, ‘Oh, this is you’re telling people that they can violate the law. No, we’re not. We’re just not,” adding, “Council has come back informally and said I wouldn’t change it, we did the right thing,” indicating that GV city council members have discussed it among themselves, though not at a public meeting, which could be a violation of the Colorado Sunshine Law for open meetings.

Councilmember Dave Bullock, who has spoken out publicly in support of the resolution, told 9NEWS that he has received more than 30 letters from people in city council district one that he represents and that they were 100 percent in favor of the resolution.

The next meeting of the GV City Council at which public comment will be allowed will be held August 3 at 7:00 p.m. at GV City Hall at 6060 S. Quebec Street.

Fmiklin.villager@gmail.com