SAN DIEGO — The battle to keep outdoor yoga classes available on public park spaces in San Diego is now heading to the courts.
For the second time in a matter of weeks, a popular yoga instructor was ticketed for offering his donation-optional class in Pacific Beach.
The city has said that these classes were never legal to begin with and is continuing to crack down.
A new lawsuit filed Monday against the City of San Diego, claims that it is unconstitutional to ban yoga classes on public beaches and parks. It comes just a couple of days after yoga instructor Steve Hubbard, also known as "NamaSteve", was detained and cited for holding classes despite the city's crackdown.
Following a calming beachside yoga class in Pacific Beach on Saturday came a heated exchange between park rangers, who continued to keep their calm as Hubbard was detained and ticketed for a second time in the past month for allegedly breaking the city's ordinance against teaching group yoga classes on public beaches and parks.
"I'll be honest with you, I probably could have handled it a little bit better," Hubbard told CBS 8, "but when you are violating people's rights, people are going to get a little bit emotional."
Adds Hubbard, "This is our public park and we feel that public parks are for people to gather, for people to assemble, for people to work on their physical health, their mental clarity."
This comes after the city recently updated its municipal code prohibiting outdoor classes of four or more people without a permit, as part of a wider crackdown on vendors.
However, Hubbard pointed out that his classes, while donations are accepted, are by and large free and therefore should not be treated as a commercial activity.
"There is nothing negotiated between anybody, nobody is treated any different, everybody is welcome," Hubbard added.
"I think they should bring it back! It brings a lot of life to San Diego," said PB resident Ella Moscoe, a vocal supporter of these beachside classes and of 'NamaSteve'.
"Everyone loves it, everyone knows about it," Moscoe told CBS 8. "It has been around forever and I think it is really kind of unfortunate."
CBS 8 reached out to the City of San Diego for comment on this new lawsuit and is still awaiting a response.
Watch Related: City of San Diego cracks down on public yoga classes (May 18, 2024)