Following discussion on the Live Art email list and elsewhere, a petition is now up and running calling for clemency in the case of Paul Kelleher, the theatre director who knocked the head off a statue of Margaret Thatcher and
is currently facing charges of criminal damage, which could
lead to his imprisonment.

Some of the text below was written with the intention of galvanising artists into action, but i'm leaving it in for general info/context purposes. Obviously, we encourage anyone to sign this and demonstrate their support for Paul.

Paul maintains that his actions were not criminal, and he is using his hearing in court to highlight the damage the Margaret Thatcher and other 'world leaders' have caused to our world.

To sign the petition please go to:
 http://www.PetitionOnline.com/pkvsmt/petition.html

Please circulate this message. Copies of the petition will be presented to Paul's solicitor and the Metropolitan Police. It is hoped this will help his cause, or at least demonstrate our support.

Thank you for your time, Kyra

Background:
On 3 July, Paul Kelleher, 37, from Chiswick in west London, a theatre producer and father of a 2 years old baby, was arrested after he decapitated the statue of Margaret Thatcher being exhibited at the Guildhall Art Gallery
in the City of London. He was charged with criminal damage and will stand trial on 24 July 2002. He made no struggle as he was apprehended, and most importantly, he made sure that there was no one around when he carried out the action so as to produce the outcome without putting anyone in danger. He said that he carried out the action as an anti-capitalist protest against the superpowers behind the globalisation polluting the world we live in today and his baby will live in tomorrow.

From the Live art email list discussion:
"When Tracey Emin's Bed at Tate became a performance art scene by the two Chinese artists who went on pillow fighting on it, they were eventually released without charges on the plea of the artist and the Tate management. In this incident, it's unlike that the scuptor, let
alone who was sculpted, would plea. Whilst I'm against terrorising or taking law into one's own hands there are exceptional compassionate circumstances, and this is one such. I think artists and others should voice their concern. I really do believe decapitating Thatcher's statue would have been one of the most facinating live art performances ever so not only it has artistic merits but it also shows the bravery of one citizen's attempt to reflect in a form of representation a large part of the public's feelings through an act involving art."