Put Down the Chalk and Nobody Gets Hurt: Sidewalk Chalk Artist Arrested by LAPD

Posted By: Matt Staggs Jul 25, 2012


Via LA Weekly:

The ongoing battle between Occupy Los Angeles and local business interests has moved to a new front: the sidewalk. Los Angeles artist Alex Schaefer was detained and arrested for misdemeanor vandalism by the LAPD for the questionable crime of chalking the sidewalk on the sidewalk in front of a Chase bank:

Alex was chalking the words crooks, crime, and chaos with the Chase logo on the sidewalk around a chase branch at 6th & Figueroa in downtown Los Angeles. 3 “district safety” patrolmen (these are private security paid for by local business interests) stopped and called the LAPD.

A total of 5 lapd cars were called to the scene as well as the 3 district safety officers and a large water truck. Alex was taken into custody on a misdemeanor vandalism charge.

Read more here.

Matt Staggs

Straggler from Atlantis.

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  • http://twitter.com/jasonpaulhayes jasonpaulhayes

     Watching this is getting me all Chalked up.

  • Jesus Borg

    This guy needs to take some lessons from Banksey and Shepard Fairey and do it at night  and not get caught.

    • Simiantongue

       Part of the point is to be arrested doing it. Corporations like Chase can wreak havoc, financially raping whole nations to enrich a few. Causing untold amounts of misery and destruction in peoples lives and essentially nothing is done about it. Yet one man steps out of line with washable, removable chalk in a passive non destructive manner at the steps to one of their temples and the system of “justice” reacts immediately.

      It’s supposed to bring attention to the paradigm we live in. Maybe more people need to get caught doing things of this sort.

      • Jesus Borg

        Well a lot of baby boomer era activists that ended up being more anarchist in the end decided that getting arrested on purpose is over rated. I tend to believe them.

  • Willcgehring

    The point is to exercise your free speech publicly in the sunlight and broad day. We don’t have to hide our beliefs or opinions against a corrupt and murderous corporatocracy and military state. This is a “demonstration” of freedom, an act of civil disobedience.

  • Dopethrone

    Did they really need 6+ cops to arrest this guy?

  • 6Blackie6

    Are there not real criminals who need police attention more than this guy?
    Welcome to the Corporate Police State.