On July 13, during a BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! event in Prospect Park, a statement was made by a guest speaker that goes against BRIC and Prospect Park Alliance’s guiding vision and mission to affirm Brooklyn and its flagship park as diverse and vibrant places where all are welcome.
During a tribute for the celebration of life of a beloved Brooklyn community member, a speaker added a statement implicitly condoning acts of violence. While this was done without the permission or knowledge of the event organizers, we nonetheless are deeply apologetic. BRIC requested and vetted a script and the speaker went off script. BRIC strives to work with every artist and speaker who steps on our stage to make sure they understand that BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! is no place for hate, and this past weekend, we could have done more.
While our organizations are adamantly committed to freedom of speech, we have no tolerance for speech that might incite violence or that is antisemitic, islamophobic, or discriminatory in any way on any of our platforms. We are distressed by the unexpected and hostile remark that was made, and apologize for the pain this has caused. Issuing this statement is BRIC’s first step in a process to further strengthen our policies and procedures to ensure a safe, welcoming environment for all of our audiences.
