May 8, 2008...10:35 pm
Bullshit graffiti laws
Good news! All the murderers, rapists, drug dealers, bank robbers and terrorist in Australia have been caught. Bad news! Now the cops have to go after someone else to justify their existence.
Or at least that where I think the insane new anti-graffiti laws in Melbourne came from. Follow this link for the horrifying details but here’s the summary:
- $550 fine just for carrying a spray can
- $26,000 fine if convicted of graffiti vandalism
- 2 year jail term if convicted of graffiti vandalism
This is plain fucking stupid. The idea of criminalising non-violent offenders for the sake of appealing to conservative voters by appearing “tough on crime” is absolutely cretinous. Even if you think graffiti is vandalism and a crime rather than art, the severity of these penalties is way out of scale with the offence.
Last weekend we had a bit of a mini-gathering of YouTube users in Melbourne’s Federation Square. While hanging out we shot a few round table vox pops on a range of topics, including these new graffiti laws. Some young lads who have a YouTube channel call TwoGuysOneChannel had a particularly good rant on the topic.
Coincidentally we were just across the road from one of Melbourne’s best graffiti lanes so I thought I’d show off just how heinous these crimes are.
12 Comments
May 9, 2008 at 12:58 am
Bullshit beyond words indeed. I used to date a cop for 4 years, and the amount of times he would come home to tell me that he had been told to chase around stupid things like this was absurd. SO many times was he told to pull over cars, dole out silly fines etc etc, just because they had to fill a certain number of “offence tickets” per day. What a waste..bloody moronic and time poorly spent on the wrong things! ARGH!
May 9, 2008 at 9:34 am
There are actually people in prison in Texas for graffiti. I think it comes under the heading of vandalism or some such nonsense. Somebody needs to get a fucking life. They probably REALLY have a problem with someone having some talent and displaying it for free.
May 9, 2008 at 11:23 am
That stuff is fricken amazing! If NYC had stuff like that I would go there everyday. It seems that the graffiti plays a large part in everyday life in Melbourne. And $26,000 is way too damn much for a fine. I think the people who make these murals should be rewarded not fined!
May 9, 2008 at 11:36 am
Hi Angry, I left a message on the above tube video last nite, I think you replied, but due to being at work it’s blocked. But forgot to mention that I thought Hosier Lane is a “Safe Zone” for Street Art and there are other around Melbourne CBD and Suburbs, unless these zones have all been removed.
May 9, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Zany: it really is a waste of time for cops
Sandra: inflict some sort of punishment if your that uptight about it by jail? And $26K fines? Get real!
Chemboy: it’s some of the best street art in the world
Greg: In the video I actually had a link to the “approved” sites in Melbourne. But that means what’s there now is approved, you can’t add anything. And you could get busted walking there with a spray can. And you never get good enough to do decent work if you aren’t allowed to practice.
May 9, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Maybe graffiti is better over there cause from what I see in this city there are a lot a kids that could benefit from a baton on the head.
May 10, 2008 at 4:42 am
Its nothing more than a money maker for whoever is dishing out the fines-if they really wanted to deter people there’s other ways, but it always ends up with fines, do the math.
May 12, 2008 at 11:08 am
DOA: We actually have some of the best graffiti in the world.
Simon: It’s cheap vote getting.
May 12, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Do shops still sell spray cans?
May 16, 2008 at 11:46 am
my view on this subject is that if someone is constantly bombing trains and just tagging everywhere and they get caught in action then yes they probably should get punished, but if its a teenager i thats just trying it out then they should get a warning and police tell parent or guardian and second offence they should have some punishment.
Also…these fkn coppa dogs shood die
June 4, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I rent abuilding — don’t even own it — and I have to pay to remove graffiti, or I will be fined by the government. So I’m screwed twice! I don’t mind the graffiti — I’m in an out of the way location and most of it isn’t “bad” — but some of it is very stupid…..
So… someone defaces the building I’m responsible for and then I have to paint ugly gray boxes over it at MY COST of time and money for materials, or I’ll get fined by the city.
And you guys are complaining?????
Use your creativity and “out-of-the-box” thinking to find a way to practice your “art” or “skill” in a forum that doesn’t pick someone else’s pocket.
June 5, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Lynn: it sounds to me like your bigger problem is someone putting those bullshit laws in place. Where do they get off forcing you to do that at your own expense?
Leave a Reply