The city has told a group of San Diego yoga teachers that they will no longer be able to teach their free classes on the beach.
Despite not charging a dime for their tuition, the instructors are allegedly subject to the city’s updated vendor laws and their sessions have been interrupted by park rangers who have even used trucks to block access to the relaxing classes.
In the past, the vendor law was primarily designed to target unlicensed food vendors or perhaps to prevent large gatherings in public park spaces.
Park rangers stand at the site of a beachside yoga class in San Diego, which is now not allowed under a new city ordinance designed to clamp down on unlicensed vendors.
Classes have been held at beachside locations for over a decade without problems, until now. Pictured is a yoga class at Sunset Cliffs.
But the ordinance has now been updated to include other types of commercial and recreational activities in public spaces, including luxury picnics and yoga classes.
The new text specifically prohibits companies from organizing beach events and classifying yoga and other activities as a “service.”
The city of San Diego says classes can only be held with permits and will have to stick to a specific area of land.
Only classes of four people or less will be allowed without a permit.
“They came with big trucks, drove them over the cliffs to block our class, which I thought was very excessive,” said one of the instructors, Danielle MacGreggor. Fox 5.
“Every time we get somewhere, the rangers are sitting there ready to attack, telling people they have to leave and they can’t settle in, they can’t use the park space that our council taxes pay for,” he said. explained.
Now park rangers are said to be waiting in their trucks to attack anyone who has a class.
‘It seems so archaic and out of touch with what our city needs, especially in a post-Covid world. “I want to make sure the city understands that a very well-intentioned law for regular street vendors has gone wrong,” said instructor Danielle MacGreggor, pictured.
The instructors have now told the city to back off and issued a cease and desist letter to city leaders, including City Attorney Mara Elliot and Mayor Todd Gloria.
‘It seems so archaic and out of touch with what our city needs, especially in a post-covid world. “I want to make sure the city understands that a very well-intentioned law for regular street vendors has gone wrong,” MacGreggor said.
Yoga instructors had thought that because of the relatively small size of their class, coupled with the fact that participants pay donations rather than fees, meant they were not subject to vendor laws.
Instructors who were told the news expressed shock and confusion, especially considering that classes held at parks along the San Diego coast, including Sunset Cliffs, La Jolla and Pacific Beach, have continued without issue. for more than a decade.
“When I got here, the street was full of ranger trucks,” Jackie Kowalik said. Fox 5. “There were three rangers standing on the grass watching a yoga class.”
After class, the park rangers came in to give the teacher a ticket.
‘I pay tax dollars to support these parks to support our city and I want to be able to use the park how I want. “I want my kids to use the parks however they want,” Kowalik said.
The group has now told the city to back off and issued a cease and desist letter to city leaders, including City Attorney Mara Elliot and Mayor Todd Gloria.
In their letter, the instructors say it was not clear in the new law that yoga sessions would be included and argue that the classes could even be considered a form of free speech, which would be exempt.
“The ban on yoga in city parks was never mentioned as a purpose or result of the street vending ordinance being considered,” the letter said.
‘I pay tax dollars to support these parks to support our city and I want to be able to use the park how I want. “I want my kids to use the parks however they want,” Jackie Kowalik said.
Park rangers observed a yoga class and then waited until it was over to issue a ticket to the instructor.
Park rangers are nearby ready to issue tickets to anyone participating in the classes.
Only smaller classes of up to four people are allowed.
Yoga instructors say they intend to oppose city officials over the new law.
‘Our clients are dedicated to pure discourse, teaching yoga to anyone willing to listen and participate. They do not charge fees and do not block or restrict access to any public space. “Passively accepting donations in a way that is not “inherently intrusive or potentially coercive” is equally protected speech,” he further held.
Yoga instructors also intend to file a lawsuit in hopes of obtaining an injunction against any enforcement of the ordinance that leads to the cancellation of their classes.
A meeting between yoga instructors and city officials will take place this Friday.