ABSTRACT

Ottawa has a graffiti problem. This problem manifest recently in a conflict over who has a right to use one of the two legal graffiti walls permitted in the city. A local university based activist group, BlakCollectiv, painted the text ‘Black Lives Matter’ using white wash and masking tape, somewhat oblivious to the history and politics of the prominent and prestigious wall. By the next morning, graffiti writers discovered the text, and painted over it while the local press were on hand to capture writers painting over the message (Figure 12.1).