Crowd release boy arrested for chalk offence

At today's anti-occupation rally in London, a young boy was arrested by police for graffitiing a wall with chalk. Eventually they were shamed into releasing him.›

graffiti

police bullies

police using fists amongst peaceful crowd

let him go

more police shoving

boy surrounded

police keeping crowd at bay

police lines keeping crowd back

boy released to freedom - crowd cheering

At about 4.30 this afternoon in Trafalgar Square, during the anti-occupation rally, police attempted to arrest a young teenage boy after he had used chalk to create a graffito of a 'no american flag' symbol.

Several police surrounded the boy and marched him off away from friends and a frantic parent.

Members of the public saw what was happening and began to surround the police chanting "let him go". The police reacted violently as they lost control of the situation, and then set up cordons to keep the peaceful but angry crowd at bay while they searched the frightened young boy in a space between their vans.

After a tense stand-off for quarter of an hour, they eventually released the boy who was led away by a relieved parent amidst cheers from the crowd.

rikki

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

The law on chalk

28.09.2003 11:11

Does anyone know what the law is about chalk graffitti?

Ritchie

presumably...

28.09.2003 12:29

considering that legal, peaceful protests can now be called severe threats to the security of the nation (see dsei) it doesn't matter if chalk graffiti is legal or not, if the police see that it's not in line with the government's ideas, you'll get arrested.

technically i think chalk graffiti is illegal though, i seem to remember a friend mentioning it... there's a club in leeds that always scribbles on the pavement to advertise cheap drinks, and i remember him joking that the police never arrest them.

oxymoron

chalk alledgedly allowed for day

28.09.2003 13:24

Apparantly, I was told by a parent, chalk drawings on the pavement were actually allowed for the day - I presume that parent groups had negotiated for their children to be allowed to do chalk pavement drawing. I had seen many children drawing with chalks on several parts of the square, and it seemed that children were being encouraged to do so. This makes the incedent even more crass - I saw the young lad being hauled off, he couldnt have been more than four feet tall and was a skinny little thing, I'd guess very early teens if that. The crowd was furious (but PEACEFUL) that the police would pick on a child, and the cops were assaulting those who went to check if he was ok. Hmm. They really enjoy their jobs, some of them. It must make them feel good to pick on children and get away with it. I hope the boys mum gave the cops a right old bollocking.

phatpat

Chalk

28.09.2003 14:46

Chalk Is legal because, un-like paint or other things it is not permanant, it washes a way in the rain. In otherwords even if they diddent release the budding artist they couldent have pressed charges.

Cat

Even with chalk it's criminal damage. Ridiculous, I know.

29.09.2003 15:09

Wether it's permanent or not, it is ilegal.
The activists legal project says:
"You commit the offence of criminal damage if you destroy or damage property or threaten to destroy or damage property, either intentionally or recklessly, without lawful excuse: Section 1(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. The damage does not have to be permanent and even if it is graffiti made with chalk which will wash away with rain it may still be criminal damage."

http://www.activistslegalproject.org.uk/offences.htm#criminaldamagearson

Love and Rage,

XXX

llantwit

Quibble

03.10.2003 15:53

I think the issue here might not be what but where. The child drew on something other than public highway, which is technically damage to property. Or at least, thats the reason why I always use the pavement or road, and only chalk in pairs and at night.
If you saw my home city, you'd see some of my work, mostly slogans and CND symbols. And don't say it comes off with the rain. It never rained once the during the whole "major combat operations" bit of the war. Dry as hell, and therefore we ran out of street to use!
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