Photo by Jonny Grave.

Photo by Jonny Grave.

As part of their collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to raise awareness about the disappearing Sumatran Tiger, psych-rock band Portugal. The Man played a free show near that animal’s exhibit yesterday evening.

Things, unfortunately, did not go smoothly: a man was removed by police for allegedly refusing to sit down during the performance, disrupting the concert for fans sitting on the lawn. “Last night at the concert, where guests were sitting on the lawn, one person stood up and was blocking the audience’s view of the band,” a Zoo spokesperson said. “He was repeatedly asked to sit down and resisted the requests. He was removed when he didn’t cooperate and was turned over to [the Metropolitan Police Department.]”

According to an eye witness, Jonny Grave, the incident occurred during the band’s song, when a “young man stood up in front of the seated crowd to watch.” Police reportedly asked him several times to sit down, but he refused. “When the young man refused to sit down, another officer moved in,” Grave says. “Then another. And then another.”

Grave also says that “when the young man was finally arrested and removed from the crowd, no fewer than five armed officers had the young man pinned to the ground.” One officer, Grave says, “used a significant amount of excessive force in subduing the individual by putting him in a headlock.”

While the entire incident lasted approximately 90 seconds (and was captured on video), the band reportedly stopped playing and tried to diffuse the situation. Later, the band tweeted an apology to fans.

According to Grave, another young man stood up in front again, and when police moved in to ask him to sit down, the band invited him to stand on stage with them, “either in a moment of solidarity or appeasement,” Grave says.

Filed Under: national zoo, national zoo arrest, national zoo concert, portugal the man,