Beatboxing busker arrested for ‘rapping too loudly’

One of Market Street’s regular buskers was arrested and escorted out of the city centre last month for “rapping too loudly”.

21-year-old rapper and beatboxer Bradley Bromley was arrested on 16th August half way through his performance on Market Street.

As well as being nicked by the police for being a bit too loud, the council seized his £200 speaker before he was put in a police car and dropped at Victoria station.

Bradley usually makes £30-£50 every time he busks, but now is more wary about going out and doing his thing.

Talking to Manchester Evening News, he said: “Council officers just came up to me and told me to leave because it was a ‘breach of the peace’ but no one had complained about me being there.

“But they just kept telling me people had complained – but I spoke to the shop and they said they were happy for me to be there. So surely the council’s view is void if nobody is complaining.

“I spoke to them politely and wanted to understand why they wanted me to leave.”

Although the rapper was arrested, he managed to leave the police with no charges.

“They handcuffed me and put me in the back of the van and chucked me out at Victoria station… it just seems a complete waste of money and resources.

“I make a bit of cash so obviously people are enjoying what I’m doing, I am just trying to bring smiles to people’s faces. And if I had done something wrong then take me to the police station and charge me with something.

“I want to know what I have done wrong but no-one will tell me.”

Manchester City Council’s Pat Karney said: “We do not have a policy to ban buskers from the city centre. Instead, our officers take a common sense approach to the issue and respond to complaints.

“In the vast majority of cases, buskers show respect to our officers and turn their amplifiers down if asked. Sadly, in this case Mr Bromley refused to lower the amplifier’s volume despite being asked on a number of occasions to do so, and later became aggressive towards our officers, giving us no option other than to call first a PCSO and then a police officer.”

The councillor confirmed that the speaker is being returned to its owner.