Drum circle at beach ends in brawl; man gets stabbed

[2 articles]

Drum circle at beach ends in brawl; man gets stabbed

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080720-9999-1m20drum.html

By Kristina Davis
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 20, 2008

LA JOLLA – A full-moon drum circle that drew several hundred people
to Black's Beach in La Jolla on Friday night ended in violence when a
man was stabbed in a brawl, authorities said.

The victim was walking down the beach with friends about 2:30 a.m.
yesterday when a group of men attacked them and began punching and
kicking them, San Diego police said.

One man then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in the side.
He is expected to survive.

But the future of the beach's long-standing tradition may be in
jeopardy as the monthly gatherings get rowdier.

The all-night drum circles were started in 1994 by a local chapter of
the Rainbow Family, a worldwide group of "peaceful anarchists." Its
members met during each full moon to celebrate life, pray for peace
and sing their "heart songs."

Over the years, the drum circle has grown, attracting crowds way
beyond the Rainbow Family types, including students from the nearby
University of California San Diego, drummers and young people looking
for a secluded spot to party all night.

Last year, the Rainbow Family stopped participating because of the
raucous atmosphere and lack of respect for the meaning behind the
drum circle, according to its Web site.

"It was a little more docile and friendly in the past," said San
Diego lifeguard Lt. Nick Lerma. "But it's gotten a little bigger, and
(they're) not getting the same cooperation from some of the people coming now.

"The result has been a lot of trash, people urinating and defecating
on the beach, illegal fires, drug paraphernalia left behind, glass
containers around – the whole deal.

"Where it goes from here, I don't know," Lerma said.

Authorities will probably begin figuring out how to handle the circle
come the next full moon, he said.

Lifeguards, who assisted police in the melee, reported that as many
as 1,000 people attended the event. One attendee said it was the
largest drum circle he'd ever seen on Black's Beach.

The Rainbow Family's Web site pleads with people to "heal" the drum
circle and "take personal responsibility for improving the scene at
Black's Beach by teaching Rainbow Family values, including
discouraging the use of alcohol and drug abuse at the event and by
insuring that the beach is cleaned up afterward, and promote a
leave-no-trace ethic."
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Kristina Davis: (619) 542-4591; kristina.davis@uniontrib.com

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Drum circle brawl ends in stabbing

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/07/19/news/sandiego/zb1fbeb3d59f62f7b8825748b007b2919.txt

By North County Times wire services | Saturday, July 19, 2008

LA JOLLA ---- A brawl between two groups of people at a full moon
"drum circle" at Black's Beach early Saturday resulted in one person
being stabbed, authorities said.

As many as 1,000 people were on the beach below Torrey Pines City
Park for the event, which has been drawing "Rainbow Family" members
to the secluded beach during full moons in recent months, San Diego
lifeguards said.

The victim, whose sex was not specified, was with friends in the area
at around 2:30 a.m. when they were attacked by a group of thin white
males with shaved heads, San Diego police Sgt. Alan Hayward said.

The attackers punched and kicked the victim and friends, and the
victim suffered a stab wound to the side that is not believed to be
life-threatening, Hayward said.

Web sites for groups that organize drumming events display concern
that they've grown out of hand because of drug and alcohol abuse.

The Web site for the "San Diego Rainbow Family" says the group no
longer hosts the full moon event and pleads for attendees to respect
the drum circle. An e-mail sent to a contact with the organization
was not immediately returned.

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