Recently, I was performing with a friend in Portland with some battery-powered amplifiers. I am a harmonica player and he uses an electric guitar. These instruments need minor amplification to be feasibly heard. Several officers passed by us and didn’t say a word until hours later when we were told we violated an ordinance, yet the officer himself didn’t know the ordinance.

Later on, I found out that the ordinance in question discusses amplifiers and using them for advertising and “annoying” people with musical instruments.

My objection is that the same day we overheard a drummer performing in the Old Port. The drummer was not amplified but was louder than we were. Our amplifiers allow us to be heard at a reasonable volume because harmonicas have no carrying power without amplification and electric guitars (without amplification), are nearly silent.

An ordinance based on decibel level — not what people deem “annoying” — should be created, as some instruments are just as loud as an amplified instrument. A drum, even without an amplifier, can be as loud as 100 decibels.

Portland is discriminating against amplified music, plain and simple, and it is obvious that the ordinance is meant to punish/prevent certain musicians from performing outright. Under this rule, keyboardists are banned completely.

It seems to me the city has a lot of time invested in infringing in First Amendment rights. Certain instruments must be amplified to be heard, and they can be played with respectful volume to the public.

Zack Pomerleau, Auburn