Ann Arbor Poetry Slam

II. RESULTS

1) Did competing teams boo other competing teams during the finals night show?

There is absolutely no material or eyewitness proof of this.

No less than three witnesses claiming to have been with Team ABQ during the bout say the exact opposite is true: that they applauded other teams and were generally reserved on their side of the stage while the show went on.
There are no witnesses attesting to an ABQ poet booing at any time in the evening.
There is no footage documenting as much. (Requests for Hollywood’s backstage footage have been made but have not come into my hands at this point in time, and filmmaker Rotimi Rainwater maintains that the video does not show this either.)

There was no official request by any stated member of the other three teams to a bout manager or MC to investigate any booing, from backstage or otherwise.

2) Were acts of violence committed on stage (or back stage)? By whom? Against whom?

Yes.

There were verbal warnings of violence by Javon, and verbal threat and physical imposition (but no contact) by Danny Solis.

3) Was the onstage protest “justified?” If yes, should there be any repercussions? If no, what repercussions are warranted?

Below are all acts that came under initial question committed that night as can best be determined by all available evidence and information:

- Booing from the audience
- Arguing backstage
- Xs on stage during rewarding of trophies
- Refusing to leave the stage
- Threats of physical violence
- Acts of physical violence, or touching with violent intent
- Using microphones without consent

What had to be considered: which of the above acts run contrary to the Code of Honour as we know it, and/or whether or not the COH is clear on such matters (and if it is not what must be changed in the COH for future reference). To this end, the list of possible infractions was whittled down to three specific acts:

a) Xs on stage during rewarding of trophies
b) Refusing to leave the stage
c) Threats/acts of physical violence