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Lib Dems Condemn "Stalinist" vandalisation of Stoke Newington Banksy Mural
2009-08-26 20:14:29 Hackney Lib Dems have condemned the Council's decision to paint over a well known Banksy mural on Stoke Newington High Street
Keith Angus, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington said,
“This has nothing to do with graffiti. This was a mural on private property which had been in place for many years and which was well known and liked in the neighbourhood. For the Council to enter private property and smear black paint over it was an act of almost Stalinist arrogance.”
“This shows that the labour party have not given up their old habits of trying to dictate what is best for people.”
Councillor Alan Laing had told the Hackney Gazette that it was not the council's job to “decide whether graffiti is art or not” and quoted government targets for graffiti removal as justification.
“To enter people's property and interfere with it it is a draconian power that must be exercised with great care and only in exceptional circumstances. This legislation is aimed at casual defacement and tagging but even so the authority can only act where the “sign” concerned is offensive or detrimental to the amenity of the area. There is no indication that this was the case with the Banksy mural or that the Council had even considered the question.
“It is a pity the Council which is so quick to vandalise other people's property cannot clean up its own.”
Even had the mural been graffiti, Mr Angus said, the Council had acted against the ALG Code of Practice. Hackney Council is signed up to the Association of London Government Code of Practice on graffiti. The Code emphasises co-operation with the property owners, proportionate action and the avoidance of property damage. When deciding whether graffiti was detrimental the authority should take account of the local environment and whether there had been complaints.
Tags:
banksy, environment, graffiti, art, stoke newington, keith angus
