Zombie Controversy Invades Facebook, Spreads to City Hall

Zombies ; on Thursday, there was chatter that zombie enthusiasts might have intentions to take on — this time to defend the continuation of the Salem Zombie Walk.

Organized by High Hat Productions, the event has been a popular festivity in the Witch City for the past few years, but this year, there was a glitch.

The owner of High Hat Productions, Stephen Spillers, shortly before zombies descended on the downtown.

Aside from the arrest, there was also confusion surrounding the question of permitting. While some said the organizer didn't have the permits necessary to run an event like the Zombie Walk, Spillers said he did.

Since Spillers was arrested Saturday, talk about the event’s future and the involvement in the arrest as well as the City's position on the Walk has been the buzz on the street and on High Hat's Facebook page. Zombie Walk supporters even turned up at City Hall Thursday night.

Here's a look at the events surrounding this year's Zombie Walk and controversy.

The Facebook Frenzy

On Sunday, High Hat Productions sent a wall message to users addressing some of the events that happened the day prior, stating the City and Salem Police were trying to sabotage the walk. "Every year we go through so much trouble and stress and fight to make this event happen for you all. Trying to work with the Salem cops and obtain a permit for anything in Salem during October is nearly impossible." The message went on to say that "the creator of the event was targeted and arrested and spent the entire day in jail for you all." Further, the message stated that the city "hates the Zombie Walk and anything to do with it."

Beginning with Sunday's message and culminating Thursday, there was a flurry of activity on the page.

On Wednesday evening, High Hat Productions appealed to its followers, asking that they attend and show their support at a Thursday meeting at City Hall “that could end the Zombie Walk once and for all ever in Salem.” At 3:32 p.m. Thursday, another message indicated supporters should not come to City Hall or they would be arrested. Another message read: “I just got a visit by the police.”

Many Facebook users chimed in supporting the walk and promising to come to the meeting. Others questioned the statement that people who came would be arrested.

But there was a problem for those who came to the "zombie" meeting — there wasn't one.

True, Thursday night, the City Council Committee on Ordinances, Licenses & Legal Affairs met at 6:30 p.m. and the entire Council met for a regular meeting at 7 p.m., but "the Salem Zombie Walk," "Stephen Spillers" and "High Hat Productions" weren't anywhere on the agendas. Just before the meetings, Salem City Clerk Cheryl A. Lapointe confirmed the zombie issue was not on the lineup.

Zombie supporters did show up, but most left after they learned there wasn't anything zombie-related on the agenda. Spillers was present in the City Hall Chambers, as were members of the Salem Police Department, including Sgt. Harry Rocheville of the Community Impact Unit.

Salem Police, Spillers, Zombie Supporters Speak

Independent of the arrest, Rocheville said the Zombie Walk wasn’t properly permitted.

"He had no permit, no detail officer," the sergeant explained. Rocheville said Spillers would have needed to take measures to ensure the safety of  participants, motorists and pedestrians watching the event, including an escort for the group from , where the event began, to the downtown area.  

Rocheville said police made attempts to get in touch with Spillers Friday because the event wasn’t permitted, but said officers "couldn’t find him.”

As for claims that the arrest was timed to stop the walk, Rocheville said that was not true. In fact, Rocheville said, police didn’t know Spillers had a warrant for his arrest until they spoke with him on the Pedestrian Mall.

"He was getting his face painted" at the time of the arrest, Rochevillle said. "Unfortunately," Rocheville said a warrant was outstanding because of court issues that weren't resolved.

"There was no intent by the PD to stop the event," Rocheville added. He reiterated that the issue with the event was one of safety and the fact that Spillers did not have a permit. Rocheville said the department has worked with Spillers in the past and the event has been properly permitted.

As for talk that zombie supporters would be at City Hall Thursday night, Rocheville said the Salem Police learned that there might be some kind of gathering the same way most other people learned about it — on Facebook.

Outside City Hall, Salem businessowner Frank P., who did not want to give his last name, said he wasn't for or against the event. "I'm here because I don't understand why it's such a problem for the city," he said.

As far as he knew, Frank said he was under the impression the police department had been "paid the detail" that would have been necessary for the event.

"What's okay and what isn't?" Frank asked, adding that the event was only a couple of hours. "This isn't Occupy Boston," he said.

Kerri Killam said she didn't understand what the problem was, adding that the Zombie Walk was advantageous to the City.

"People came, people ate, all day they were doing things [in Salem]," she said.

As for the organizer, Spillers said he was completely unaware there were conversations on the High Hat Productions page Thursday afternoon.

"I had no idea this was going on," Spillers said of the activity while outside City Hall on Thursday, stating he found out about the conversation when the police came to his place of work. Spillers said 20 other people have access to the page, but they are supposed to go through him first.

Spillers said he believed he was apprehended because the walk was about to start. He said he was arrested 10 minutes prior, while getting his makeup done, even though "the permits were there and everything was in place with the police department detail."

When asked directly if police had received money for detail, Rocheville said they had not. He also once again stated that the event was not properly permitted.

Spillers said the City of Salem "has animosity toward me, and I don't know why."

Next year, Spillers said, he’ll go through “every loop, jump and hurdle,” to make sure the proper permits are in place. Spillers acknowleged the scattered crowds outside City Hall who took the time to come out. To Zombie Walk enthusiasts, Spillers said: "Don't be disappointed. It will go on. This is my legacy. I'm a performance artist. This is how I express myself."