Drum Circle Drawing Extra Police Patrols

Originally posted at 1:21 p.m. April 6, 2014. Edited with new details.

UPDATE at 10:55 p.m.: At least one person has been arrested at the weekly drum circle on Venice Beach, where bottles have been tossed at police officers, reports NBC4.

Original post:

A loud, weekly drum circle has drawn numbers of police on recent weekend nights in Venice, and while extra police will monitor the drumming tonight, residents have taken to social media to complain.

Several hundred people are expected to return to what organizers say will be a peaceful "Solidarity With The Drum Circle" event in Venice, starting at 3 p.m. on Ocean Front Walk near Brooks Avenue, according to the group's Facebook page.

Los Angeles police said extra officers would be at the beach tonight, but would not provide details.

"It all depends upon them as individuals. We're constantly changing on how we're handling the drum circle," said Los Angeles police Sgt. Patricia Suarez at the Pacific station. "We're definitely aware of the situation."

Recent drum circles were closed down because they were violating beach rules and disturbing some Venice residents, involving at least two arrests and one police officer injured by a flying bottle.

"It is our human right to have 24/7 access to life sustaining waterways such as the ocean and drum alongside waves without being forced by police," the group said in a manifesto posted on its Facebook page. "WorldwideWave LA will be assembling at the beach at 3 p.m. to discuss and create our plan of action."

The group's March 16 demonstration drew 400 to 500 people, and was shut down by police walking in a flank up the beach, as an LAPD airship circled overhead. Two people were arrested and one police officer injured by a bottle, one of many thrown at police as they declared the assembly to be illegal and ordered participants to disperse.

Residents of the beach neighborhood are divided, with some defending the drum circle and others writing of their frustrations on the Internet. A local website, Venice311, wrote that the drum circle participants are"interested in using our neighborhood to provoke the cops for (an) already flawed attempt at civic valor.

"You can access the beach but you cannot violate the noise ordinance," the website opined.

--City News Service