Rumson Police Break Up 'Coronavirus Party' Of 40- to 50-Year-olds

RUMSON, NJ — A live performance of Pink Floyd hits by a cover band was disrupted Saturday evening and about 30 adults ages 40 to 50 sent packing after Rumson police were called to a gathering on Blackpoint Road, police said.

The attendees at the event were on the front lawn of a home and some were in the middle of Blackpoint Road, attending the acoustic concert of Pink Floyd's greatest hits, police said.

"Some even brought lawn chairs," police said on Facebook.

The impromptu concert by two guitarists with microphones and amplifiers also was being broadcast live on Facebook, police said.

The response to police telling the attendees that they had to leave, because the event violated Gov. Phil Murphy's executive order banning gatherings during the outbreak of the new coronavirus was less than polite, Rumson police said.

"We were met with well wishes of 'F--- the police' and 'Welcome to Nazi Germany' from this group of '40- to 50-year-old adults,' " police said in the Facebook post.

"As the old saying goes, in the midst of all this chaos, the band still played on, that is until they were advised in the middle of the 1975 classic 'Wish You Were Here' that they must stop the show," the post said.

"Sadly I'm sure we all 'wish we could be here,' and the Rumson Police Department takes no enjoyment in ruining anyone's fun! However we ALL have a responsibility to take this pandemic SERIOUSLY and adhere to the social distancing requirement," police said.

"We also need to be a good role model for our children and be kind and understanding during these times," the post said.

Police warned that any future incidents in Rumson would receive a zero-tolerance approach "and everyone involved will be charged with disorderly conduct."

"We are all in this together and together we need to make smarter choices," police said, adding #partysover #stopthespread #savelives #wedontneednocoronaparties to finish the post.

Murphy's office and New Jersey State Police have been urging compliance across the state with ban on social gatherings to slow the spread of the virus that has sickened more than 34,000 people and has been blamed in 846 fatalities. In Monmouth County, there have been 2,065 who have tested positive for the virus and 54 who have died as a result, according to Saturday's figures from the New Jersey Department of Health.

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