The LAPD went on yet another of their regularly scheduled rampages on city streets last night, attacking people with bean bags and rubber bullets, or what they call “less-lethal” artillery, all because some folks were chalking up sidewalks with innocuous political statements. The downtown “Art community” and other assorted boosters have already been blaming the victims for forcing the police to shoot at them: You made me angry so I hit you! I bet the chalkers were also wearing sexy hoodies with provocative messages. With friends like these…
In any case, I went by Spring and 5th today and there was hardly any chalk left of which to speak of, most of it had already been washed away. Mid-block towards 4th I did see these faint outlines on the street. Chalk graffiti certainly deserving to be dealt with by force.
Oh dear, chalk on the wall. Bring out the truncheons! Or a wet wipe.
And yet this kind of bullshit chalk sign with asshole jock “jokes” from a local bar is perfectly okay? Pick on the hippie protestors instead, nobody likes that riff-raff.
All that remains is a trickle of color in the gutter. Someone ought to take care of that soon, we might start to dislike our boring gray!
Local news always on the scene when its an easy story to cover from the passenger seat. Next time you want media to cover the deplorable conditions in your neighborhood make sure you break some windows.
A suggestion to the Chalk Walk people: up your game, use excrement! It’s all over the sidewalks in downtown, either from fancy dogs with shitty owners or broken people with no toilet options, and it doesn’t seem to bother anyone. It’ll make a fine paste for all kinds of important messages, assuming you use a light colored background. Like our sidewalks.
An Art Walk full of poo art on the sidewalks? It’ll complement the offerings inside the gallery walls!
Good ideas are good ideas.
Some coverage of the police violence:
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2012/07/254250.php
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-police-protesters-clash-20120713-pg,0,7210222.photogallery
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0714-artwalk-20120714,0,7994058.story
http://www.scpr.org/blogs/news/2012/07/13/7048/mayor-police-chief-respond-art-walk-occupy-la-arre/
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You buy into the ‘chalk truths’ that wash away in the rain of serious scrutiny.
The venue was the ART Walk. Vehicles were SPRAY PAINTED…BUSINESS were also. They need to go somewhere else to vandalize, throw bottles at police, and break windows. I once supported Occupy, now they are just a bunch of anarchist losers.
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There is no Art walk “venue”, nor do the city streets become private terrain once a month. None of the stories have mentioned spray painting, the police seem perfectly content to describe chalking as the “vandalism” that triggered the out-of-line response. “I once supported Occupy, now I’m an apologist for police brutality.”
I saw the photos and couldn’t tell the chalk graffiti apart from the regular paintings being sold.