Musicians Protest Destruction of Golden Gate Park Tunnels

A variety of musicians set up shop inside the tunnels of the Golden Gate Park this afternoon and sang out against their possible destruction.

"This is a first attempt to bring all these people together," said TunnelFest protest organizer Chris Duderstadt. "We'll be back."

The 20 musicians included veteran tunnel singers, an improvisational choir called Tonal Chaos, and a North Indian couple playing the sitar and tabla.

Three of the four pedestrian tunnels, which were built in 1895 to allow people to walk under roadways en route to the park's Music Concourse, are scheduled for destruction as early as September.

The tunnels will be destroyed in order to make room for a garage for the DeYoung Museum, said Duderstadt.

"They're ready to break down the tunnels as soon as they can get the city to approve it," said Duderstadt, who criticized park officials for preparing detailed construction plans before the environmental impact study is complete.

A park official was not available for comment on Sunday.