By now, you’ve probably seen an Associated Press report about how an unauthorized music-video shoot Saturday turned into an impromptu street party of 300 people — including lowriders and twerkers — that shut down Route 66 in Albuquerque.
It seems like a silly story for AP to distribute around the globe. But the news service chooses to highlight a few stories each week labeled as “odd” because — you guessed it — because they’re odd. It’s sort of a lighthearted man-bites-dog thing.
The source of this, near as I can tell, was a news report by KRQE-TV in Albuquerque. And, yes, there’s video.
KRQE gave the Cliff Notes video version. There’s more footage from the ABQ RAW account on YouTube:
The gist is local rapper Jandro put out the word he needed locals for a music video he was shooting at the old-school Firestone station at Seventh and Central (aka Route 66). He — and local police — got more than they bargained for.
KRQE reported Albuquerque police took a largely hands-off approach to the spectacle. That’s probably because Albuquerque remains under a Department of Justice consent decree for overaggressive police conduct that spurred protests more than two years ago — before anyone heard of “Black Lives Matter.”
So the local cops understandably have taken a “no harm, no foul” stance.
Another observation: I’m a sucker for lowriders, and I have to admit a couple of those shown in the videos are pretty cool.
(Video image capture of lowriders during the Jandro street party in Albuquerque)
I can see this as harmless fun and for the most part would have no problem
That being said, it is also dependent on how long I was prevented from using the road .
As long as I am free to get around even by detour so I can continue that is fine
If I am prevented from going a different way or getting to something they are blocking then that is an issue
If it is for very long
We live in an area that has attracted a lot of movie and TV series shows made
It is not unusual for them to block roads off for hours and this would be no different
I do raise a fuss when they shut a main road down and all you can do is sit . I do not take kindly to being held aganist my will
If they are blocking the only way to continue then a person is being held aganist their will and at that point
I could see problems starting.
Sometimes the media needs to just stay out of it