<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"The New York Police Department cracked down on Times Square characters this weekend, arresting Naked Cowboy, Captain America, Spider-Man and Jessie the Cowgirl from Toy Story.\nThe crackdown followed the Saturday arrest of Junior Bishop, who was dressed as Spider-Man at the time. The practice of dressing up as a kid-friendly character, and taking photos with tourists in exchange for tips, is common in New York's busy Times Square area. Panhandling is legal in New York, but city officials see misbehaving costumed characters as a threat to the tourism industry and to public safety.\nSee also: GoPro-Equipped Drone Offers Bird's-Eye-View of NYC\nBishop was arrested Saturday after allegedly punching a police officer who told him to stop harassing tourists. The New York Post has video of the scuffle between Spider-Man and the police. (Warning: The following video contains graphic language.)\n\nNew York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday he believes the people wearing character costumes in Times Square should be licensed and regulated. He added that the practice has \"gone too far,\" and that the characters must \"play by the rules or you won't be working here any longer.\"\nNew York City Council is working on legislation that would require the characters to get a city-approved license. However, legislation requiring licenses could violate rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. A previous anti-panhandling law in New York was ruled unconstitutional in 1992.\nAdditional reporting by The Associated Press\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/07/28/times-square-character-crackdown/>