NYC subway cellist who was struck in the head quits station performances, calls for protection for musicians
NY Post
The New York City cellist who was struck in the back of the head with a metal water bottle at a busy subway station says he will not go back to performing until there’s better protection for musicians in the Big Apple’s transit system.
Iain Forrest, 29, said he was heartbroken to have to make the decision to stop performing for commuters, but said it was necessary as last week’s attack in Midtown marked the second time he’s been assaulted while playing his cello in the past year alone.
“Two attacks in less than a year is two too much,” he said in an Instagram post Sunday. “I have been punched, choked, and now bashed in the head.
“I love performing for you all in the subway, but I’m at my breaking point and can’t take more injury or harm,” he continued.
Forrest, an MD-PhD student at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, pointed out that he was just one of many subway performers who have been “attacked, harassed or robbed” while trying to entertain their fellow commuters.
He is now calling on his fellow musicians to join the Subway Performers Advocacy Group (SPAG) in demanding better security from the city at transit hubs.
