NOPD shuts down Royal Street pedestrian mall after Paris attacks

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Every day for the past several decades, the New Orleans Police Department has shut down Royal Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to allow the French Quarter thoroughfare to become a pedestrian mall where musicians, magicians, and mimes perform for thousands of visitors.

But shortly after the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, the NOPD ended the practice as part of an "updated security plan," police spokesman Tyler Gamble said.

"The decision was made to ensure first responders can travel through the French Quarter as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency," Gamble said. "We are monitoring the effects of the plan and will continue to make adjustments as necessary."

Ethan Ellestad with the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans said safety should be the police department's primary concern. But the city should have done a better job informing street musicians about the impending change, he said.

The pedestrian mall "was established by ordinance in the late '70s so it's interesting the way this has happened unilaterally," he said. "There was no notice, no information, no press release, no public discussion or input. No one seems to know this happened or how it happened."

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