2nd Annual Chalk the Police National Day of Action & Chalking Contest! Monday, October 1st, 2012!
By Melissa Hill
Attention all chalkers, organizers, and lovers of artful dissent! It’s that time of year again to open up the buckets of chalk and find the nearest location of state repression (aka police stations, courthouses, jails) or other public property such as sidewalks, parks or public plazas at the 2nd Annual Chalk the Police Day.
During the 1st Annual Chalk the Police Day, we had videos and photos from small groups and large groups of chalkers in cities such as Phoenix and Keene, NH.
Over the past year, many chalkers have been detained, harassed arrested, and jailed by authorities across this country. From the Chalking 8 in Manchester to the Chalk Walk Police Riots in LA, chalking continues to be seen as a threat to status quo and despite the temporary nature of chalk, police and local authorities continue to crack down on our right to free expression.
We must not remain silent! We have the right to chalk and the right to hold our local police accountable for their actions. If you agree, please organize a chalking event in your area on Monday, October 1st. Please feel free to make this event your own and bring signs, fliers, maybe some music and snacks – and of course, lots of chalk to share with your local chalking group. We encourage organizers to host their event on the date of action, Monday October 1st but recognize that some individuals or groups may want to host an event the weekend before due to time or weather constraints.
If you use Facebook, please create an event and invite your friends! Please RSVP to our Facebook event for the National Chalk the Police Day and we will also try to list all the events there.
Do you need extra motivation to chalk? This year there is a fun contest with prizes in each of the categories!
Categories:
Best Mural/Chalk Art Design – For the chalk artists who love to draw and can create great murals.
Best Chalk Saying/Slogan – Can’t draw but have a way with words? This category is for you!
Best Location – Chalk the jails? Chalk the steps of city hall? Is there any interesting public property to chalk in your area? We’ll be giving a prize for best location.
Prizes: The best entry in each category will get $66 worth of items from Cop Block’s store. Also, the winner of the Best Mural/Chalk Art Design will receive a Box of Eternity Art High Quality Sidewalk Chalk (you pick up to 35 of your favorite colors!)
Judges: There will be a three “judge” panel with one person each from the East (Kate Ager), Midwest (Melissa Hill), and West Coast (Allan Eaton) that will review the photographs of the chalk and rank them.
How to Enter: Please send all photographs of chalking (or short videos) to copblock@gmail.com or post them on the Facebook event. All entries for this contest will need to be submitted before 11:59pm CST Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 to allow the judges time to view the pictures and video. To be fair, please only submit chalkings that were created between Friday, Sept. 28th – October 2nd for the October 1st Chalk the Police event. The winners will be announced on Friday, October 5th.
You can arrest the chalker but you can’t stop the chalk!
Video Recap from the 1st Annual National Chalk the Police Day:
