The Difference Between Public Art and Vandalism

Last week we told you about a new Banksy mural that was reportedly threatened by the people who own the wall it was painted on. Such street art is often derided as vandalism by property owners and city managers, but on a trip to see the painting ourselves we discovered, sadly, that some idiot really had vandalized the wall.

Here is what the mural originally looked like:

And here’s what it looked like on Sunday:

Look closer, and you’ll spot the swastika:

Fans of street art will tell you that these works are not permanent. The fact that they get painted over and disappear is part of what makes them special. This kind of half-assed defacing, on the other hand, is just too lame to bear. — PZS