Click on a press item below to read WikiPages Grand Society Antiques & Gallery - 'Marking it Up' Berliner Literaturkritik Heimat ist da, wo man weg will Daily News Hunts Point's Tats Cru graffiti crew to take city to court for covering 'art' Gothamist Sharpton Urges Harlem to End "Stop Snitching" Trend Daily News Hunts Point-based graffiti arts TATS CRU lend urban cred to Lord & Taylor SEAK: Graffiti and Street Art Diary Künstler Kollegen aus New York zu Besuch The New York Times Walls of Art for Everyone, but Made by Not Just Anyone Gothamist Graffiti Irony MIT Graffiti artists TATS CRU visit MIT Scion Installation Scion Art Tour BNET 2004 Ad e-flux International Artexpo Shows That Art Is Everywhere The New York Times Graffiti with a German (and Bronx) Accent Daily News Fans Show Much Love for Big Pun MTV New Big Pun Mural To Mark Anniversary Of Rapper's Death The New York Times Extending the Life And Lore of Graffiti The New York Times Mural Painters Arrested but Then Released Daily News Taggers Freed After Tribute to Rapper OKd Daily News Memorial for Rapper New York Magazine Guten Tag RHUNTS POINT'S TATS CRU GRAFFITI CREW TO TAKE CITY TO COURT FOR COVERING 'ART' Publisher: Daily News By: Dorian Block Published: August 11, 2008 This time, it's graffiti artists' turn to be ticked off. A noted group of professional Bronx artists have filed notice they intend to sue the city for painting over one of their murals. The "Stop Snitchin'" mural, painted on the side of an East Harlem bodega with the permission of the building's owner in 2006, featured a rat with a noose around its neck and the phrase that police say has left many of the city's crimes unsolved. In July, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the Rev. Al Sharpton and others painted over the mural and invited the media to watch, charging that the mural hampers the justice system and promotes violence. The Hunts Point-based Tats Cru, which has turned its street graffiti into a worldwide commercial enterprise, says the city's action has violated its right to free speech. Stacey Richman, the group's lawyer, says city officials violated federal defamation and slander laws by painting over the mural. "If you or I or anyone else did this, we would be arrested for criminal mischief," Richman said. "It was not about endorsing a negative connotation. It was about getting discussion going." Richman said the next step is to schedule a private hearing with the city as soon as it responds to the claim, whose premise is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union. Gabriel Taussig, an attorney with the city's Law Department, said no laws were broken because the owner of the building gave permission to have the mural painted over. "The law allows an owner to paint a wall any way he sees fit," Taussig said. But Richman said the owner was threatened with fines if the mural was not removed. The owner did not respond to a call for comment. "Stop Snitching" first entered the public sphere around 2004. Since then, city officials across the nation have battled the motto by trying to ban its use. Witnesses wearing "Stop Snitching" shirts have been thrown out of court in Pittsburgh. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino threatened to confiscate all clothing with the message in 2005, although he quickly backed down after a legal outcry. Susan Alexander, 50, who passed the mural daily, said she does not care about the rights of the artists, when the art is encouraging people to break the law. "That was a menace to society," she said. "Kids don't need to see something stupid. They need to see something positive. If their friend gets killed, they're not supposed to tell anyone? I'm old enough to know that's garbage." All Images and Articles are Copyright of the Publisher View Publisher's Link