Wow, thanks. peace on both sides, the people and the police, made for a calm, fun artwalk and not another pointless riot scene. This chalking issue is going to be solved in court once and for all. this was the coolest thing I saw that night
Monday, August 6, 2012
Alex Schaefer, Chalk, and Downtown LA Artwalk
GET ON POINT PEOPLE! I am a chalk protest activist but I DO NOT support "chalkupy" at ArtWalk in Los Angeles. "Chalkupy" Los Angeles has vowed this ArtWalk to keep their protest to Pershing Square and area Banks but I'm afraid of rumors that people from Oakland are coming down to cause trouble wherever it's most crowded, i.e. ArtWalk. Why? What are you protesting at ArtWalk? Artists? Small businesses? Because those are the only people affected by the last "chalk walk", and clashing with the police at that particular event only makes the protestors look bad. Chalk in front of a bank and make a point about it. Occupy Oakland are the same folks pictured smashing American Apparel stores, which is, ironically, local American Manufacturing! WTF??!! Use protest well America, it's sacred and growing more rare. And if the main thought in your heart going into a protest is "Fuck the Police" you are lost.
Wow, thanks. peace on both sides, the people and the police, made for a calm, fun artwalk and not another pointless riot scene. This chalking issue is going to be solved in court once and for all. this was the coolest thing I saw that night
Wow, thanks. peace on both sides, the people and the police, made for a calm, fun artwalk and not another pointless riot scene. This chalking issue is going to be solved in court once and for all. this was the coolest thing I saw that night
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Your alarmist views about Oakland visitors were not constructive, and have now been proven wrong, Alex. Maybe next time you won't jump to conclusions about artists who protest with chalk. As you know, that's not nice. ~Fresh Juice Party (the LA Chalkupiers from scary scary Oakland)
I also think it was local Los Angeles citizens concerned about community issues voicing their concerns at town hall meetings and over social media that kept the peace because everyone, locals and out of towners alike, were made aware of the issues that concern Los Angeles.
and keep track of my chalk protest and the legal outcomes because I think it is going to have a much more constructive impact regarding chalking and protest than you imagine. you underestimate me.
Alex,
I believe the photo you posted is from May 1st in Seattle not Oakland.
Also, I think the rumors about people coming from Oakland were a bit misleading. The Fresh Juice Party started a group called "Chalkupy" and they do elaborate chalking murals weekly in Oscar Grant Plaza.
They take great care designed the images and then execute them. They really have done some very stunning work.
The people who came from Oakland came to chalk a big cartoon moral for us that said "I love the First Amendment" with a cartoon lion and duck. They also brought costume of the cartoon characters to add to our festivities.
There intention, as far as I know, was never to "cause trouble wherever it's most crowded".
I think another misnomer in your post is that this was a "protest". In fact, last month and this month (and every month since Oct 2011) we have been doing outreach to the community to bring awareness and to show solidarity with the artist.
Last month, it only turned into a so-called riot after the crowd saw the LAPD throw a petite female around like a rag doll and then slam her face first into the pavement and then they body slammed her brother to the pavement.
Her crime? A smiling stick figure.
The crowd was horrified by the display of police violence/brutality over water soluble chalk.
We were not protesting in Pershing Square this last Thursday night. We were celebrating with a Art and Music gathering in a public space with a long history of gatherings, art, and music.
I cannot speak for anyone else, but I do feel for the small business, artists, residents, patrons, and innocent bystanders who were negatively affected by the police violence last month.
Also, another misleading thing that came out of July's Art Walk is that all the messages were about "fuck the police". Photo and Video evidence shows differently. I would be happy to share any of the documentation with you.
Even, the second person to get arrested on July 12, 2012, was just an Art Walk participant who heard us reading California Civil Code 52.1 to the LAPD officers standing near us. He pick up a hot-pink piece of chalk and draw a heart with the words "the police" next to it.
Without warning, he had 5 LAPD officers with their hands on him with in seconds and then 40 more haphazardly shut down Spring Street to make that arrest at 7:45pm.
Occupiers remained peaceful the entire night and worked to deescalate the crowd after they saw the police violence.
Herbalicious I hope you all have lawyers and you are all bringing this to trial. That's the point, to change the interpretation of the law. Like I said again and again, the legislation needs to be changed and I'm going to do it. Just wait. BTW did you go to the townhall meeting? Chalkwalk was poorly conceived, people who organized it admitted that themselves. We're lucky nothing pointless and stupid happened this month and I really think that it was LA locals, businesses and artist speaking out and LA "chalk walk" organizers scrambling behind the scenes imploreing out of town chalk protestors to not fuck with art walk that prevented another catastrophe.
Thanks for you thoughts. wish me luck at my arraignment on the 14th Herbalicious. Seriously, I'm going to bat for you all. You have no idea.
Alex, I understand your intention to make this a big, ol' Supreme Court test of the First Amendment, and I've said publicly that your propaganda around this was exemplary. Making a case of it is OK, I guess, if you have the money to do that. But demonizing other chalkers rather than the system that prohibited chalking doesn't help you, and equating chalk with property damage here really doesn't do that. And I'm guessing any 1st Amendment test just got really, really complicated when the LAPD backed down and allowed chalking on Thursday night. So maybe the very same Fruit Juice Party and Occupy Los Angeles people you tried to demonize just accomplished your goal for you.
Alex, chalk envy oozes from your comments. If you're interested in establishing and preserving chalkers' rights, check out our video where a police officer tells us it's ok to chalk. Also, PLEASE check out our How-To PDF to improve your chalking technique! http://www.freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery/ At this link, you'll also see that WE were the people who were bringing CINDY SHEEHAN (till she had to cancel due to her new position as a Vice Presidential running mate). Furthermore, we were in close contact with OLA for the past month regarding our peaceful participation at ChalkWalk. AND they were THRILLED to have us from the beginning, as you can see from OLA's social media streams. Maybe you should try communicating with OLA before disseminating malicious and erroneous information. Because, in fact, WE host our own Chalkupy EVERY week (as Herbalicious astutely points out) and it's a peaceful, community building event. Check out our ChalkuKids photo album. It's super cute!! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.416117281756639.87497.196487553719614&type=1
You know, maybe the people who were smashing windows in that Seattle pic were from LA? Who is to say? Alex, you shouldn't rely on the MSM for your news about Occupy!
Finally, no one "implores" Fresh Juice Party or Occupy Oakland to do anything they don't CHOOSE to do. You saw what we chose to do Thursday. And LAPD stood down as we partied with OLA! Were you home practicing your Chase logo?
man i don't know who or what "occupy" is anymore. as I've said all along, chalking is legal, protest is great, more and more please thank you. I'm about to leave for a brainstorm meeting with my crew for where to go next. I think protest needs to get a little bread, puppet, and broadway in it. I continue to do what I feel I gotta do. I protest banks. This will be sorted out in court. Also, I don't need a pdf to improve my "chalking technique".
I'm getting tired of e-communication because it's all miscommunication. if you want to talk more about this email me your phone number and we'll talk with our voices where things like inflection and tone make a difference and we can communicate more effectively. alexhsch@gmail.com The irony is I'm fighting for the same thing you all are wtf
We have puppets. Didn't you see them? We had music and puppets.
Music:
http://www.freshjuiceparty.com/category/music/
Puppets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm2kHyiA5FQ
Alex, you started this. What has OO ever done to you? I have seen people break windows in Oakland and have NEVER recognized a single one of them from OO.
Alex it sounds like you never kniewwho occupy was. Maybe you should inform yourself. They have 4 public meetings a week. Maybe its time to attend one. They promoted your artwork and arrest. They stood behind you for you to attack them? Where is the solidarity. Seems like you are using this to draw attention to yourself. They celebrated your art and you repay them by regurgitating LAPD lies?
Alex it sounds like you never kniewwho occupy was. Maybe you should inform yourself. They have 4 public meetings a week. Maybe its time to attend one. They promoted your artwork and arrest. They stood behind you for you to attack them? Where is the solidarity. Seems like you are using this to draw attention to yourself. They celebrated your art and you repay them by regurgitating LAPD lies?
Alex we are working the civil rights attorneys associated with the national lawyers guild.
Alex I worked on planning, organizing, and implementing the town hall for 3 weeks...And you I talked on the phone after your arrest.
From my experience, as someone who helped plan the original Chalk Walk and the second one, in addition to the town hall, we were not scrambling to convince out of town chalkers not to fuck anything up. They came down to show us solidarity and make a beautiful first amendment chalk mural for us...
Oh, I get it now. Alex SOLD his painting for a lot of money. And now he's "humbly" profiting. Suddenly this is making sense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzVi3z4hREQ
"The irony is I'm fighting for the same thing you all are wtf"
I we are fighting the same thing, why does it sound like your blog post is fighting us?
You say get on point. I am not exactly sure what you exactly meant by that but it seemed to be a demeaning comment that is to indicate that you know exactly the only right way to protest or something like that.
You say you don't support "chalkupy" at Art Walk but it doesn't even sound like you have the facts about it, so that seems prejudgemental and assumptive.
Then you seemed to play into the fear mongering about people from "Oakland" coming to cause trouble at DTLA Art Walk.
It seems like it much more easier for you speak strong words towards a ragtag group of revolutionaries than it is to stand up to the state violence that caused the hurt to the small business and artists at last months art walk.
Then you went on to use a photo saying the people were from Occupy Oakland when the facts don't seem to support that. And maybe you're not aware but it has also been discussed that the individuals in the photo could possible be police.
It just doesn't feel like we are fighting the same thing when it feel like passive aggressive punches seem to be flying in our direction from yours.
I did call you and I felt you were happy judging the Occupy movement than talking to me as a fellow human being who cares about these things.
For the record: we, too, promoted and supported your artwork and arrest, Alex.
call me naomi here's my number: 323 828 5805
there's my number. right there. no more e-talk. you wanna cummunicate, you can call. I am not anonymous
We recommend that you remove your phone #. We are not responsible for any calls you may receive as a result of publicly posting your number.
You got my number. any more comments after this post will be deleted. talk directly to me or don't bother communicating further
ok
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