I think this is an important issue for the list to consider, as
communication from unofficial (read oterh than government) channels
regarding important issues is *ahem* covered up.  I dont know if many of
you are aware of the power of communication graffitti can attain, however
this should be enlightening, and perhaps i could gain som e insight from
others comments on this.  What would Noam Chomsky have to say.. in
general about the official recation to this freedom of speech, while
allowing major corporate entities put official billboards up.

as an aside, i find it odd how some some corporations are letting ad
agencies run ads for them that contain symbolic or blatant representation
of actrions that break laws.  for example.. how many advertisements do
you see with skaters, skate-boarders, rollerbladers? a few i'm sure..
though here in our major cities in Canada.. such is against bi-laws.. i
was subject to a $120 fine for skating.. peacefully i might add, and was
subject to police aggression.  then i see ads that basically tell me its
a convention to skate.  makes me wonder whos in power, and how the
governemnt and these corporate ad agencies work in tandem?  what kind of
results are gained from such communication?  anyhow the article i
forwarded is from an anonymous graff listserv.  read and enjoy.





---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 13:33:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tekno-Rave Area <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Venice pigs (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 7 Sep 1997 11:43:20 -0700
From: BW <brett>
To:
Subject: Venice pigs

Seems like the cops couldn't just leave well enough alone the Venice paint
out that happened a couple of weeks back. Xpress CBS painted a real nice
character of a pig in a cops uniform giving a black punk rock kid a beat
down with a billy club.  SPARC, the group that got permission
to paint the wall and got it organized had approved sketches, along with
community members and government officials. SPARC says they aren't going
to paint over it, even though there have been articles in many US papers,
including the LA Times and Wall Street Journal and pressure from
local law enforcement.

Last week a friend of mine went down to the pavilion to see the state of
the pieces. He arrived and there were two plain clothes cops and a couple
of uniformed officers taking pictures of all of the pieces and making
notes about them. The next day they had covered the pig piece up
with some tarp and barracaded the thing and stationed two cops in big
trucks to watch and make sure no one messed with the covering (how much
money did this cost us!?--two cops sitting in trucks all day watching a
covered up painting?). The day after that they had boarded the painting
up, and kept barracades all around the boards.

This seems like a very strange interpretation of "protect and serve", the
motto that LAPD has on the side of their squad cars. Not to mention a bizarre
interpretation of their protecting our first amendment rights.

--brett