Posted on 10/23/2001 7:16:04 PM PDT by grimalkin
LOS ANGELES (AP) The city of Los Angeles was sued Tuesday for allegedly violating an artist's free speech rights by ordering him to take down a giant patriotic mural displayed on an office building after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Artist Mike McNeilly put up the nearly 10-story-tall banner on the Westwood Medical Building, with the owner's permission.
Entitled "9-11," the flameproof canvas had images of a New York City firefighter, an American flag, the Statue of Liberty's face, the World Trade Center and the words "God Bless America."
But on Sept. 21, the city ordered him to remove the mural, alleging he had violated 24 ordinances related to commercial signs.
"They combed through the statute book and then threw it at Mr. McNeilly," said Dan Tokaji, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, which filed the suit. "If history teaches us anything, it teaches us that our most basic values are most at risk in times of crisis ... they are especially important now."
However, the city attorney's office said McNeilly is anything but an abused patriot.
"It is a beautiful piece of art," spokesman Ben Austin said. "We support his right to display this art, just not illegally."
Austin said McNeilly "took advantage of the national tragedy to further his financial interests by putting up this mural."
McNeilly recently replaced the mural with one that includes the face of a woman Marine, the Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center and the words "Liberty and Justice 9-11."
Still, he remains accused of violating a citywide anti-blight ban on new billboards. The ACLU suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, calls on a judge to order the city to allow the mural to remain and to strike down the blanket prohibition on new signs.
It isn't the first time McNeilly has clashed with officials. He was charged with misdemeanor counts in 1999 after partially painting a 120-foot-high mural of the Statue of Liberty on the same building. When authorities stopped him from completing it, he added the word "CENSORED" to the sign.
The case was dismissed earlier this year. McNeilly has a lawsuit against the city pending in federal court.
The wall is on a building in the Westwood district, on Wilshire Blvd. facing the Federal Building. Three or four years ago he put up an advertisement for a movie. He had no permit, and tried to get none. It was taken down after weeks of hassle, notably when the movie left the theater circuit.
A few years ago he tried it again. And Again. He was charged, and while charges pending he put up a patriotic, uncommercial poster regarding veterans (you can see it from the VA cemetery), wrapped himself in the flag, and screamed 1st Amendment. He was convicted, appealed, and some deal was made to allow this non-commercial poster to remain.
But then he put up a poster for the movie "Pearl Harbor", which he was paid for. Complaints came, he cried patriotism.
About five months ago he, again without permits, put up an ad for a kiddie tv show on Disney or something. Again complaints came, and the local govt. made noise about lawsuits.
Since 911, while under pressure by the govt. he put up the two posters shown currently on his website. However, if you drive by the site, you can still see that the bright pink poster for the kiddie show is behind the patriotic one, peeking around the edges, ready for its future exposure. Here's an article recounting much (but not all) of the story:
This link has a picture of the cheesy kiddie show ad of which I am speaking.
I like his patriotic, and I'm sorry if this info lets you down, but I'm a local and this guy has ticked me and a lot of other people off.
Now that I think about it, another post said that he did a huge poster of the movie Pearl Harbor. It's probably a flag from that movie. Still, though, it's not our current flag and everythig else in the picture is from current events.
Those earthquakes are just Mother Earth trying to brush all those freaks off her back!!
I am especially aware of the 48 star flag as that was the "Official US Flag" at my birth!!
It was the flag up until 1959 when Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union!!
Get "The History Channel!!!"
Some Los Angeles ordinance violations committed by Mr. McNeilly:
* Failure to pay "administrative fees" to local DemocRats.
* Failure to include beatific representation of Hillary! smiling down upon the peasants.
* Failure to include a full ethnic mix in artistic represntation.
* Failure to properly describe the plight of the exploited workers.
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