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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Arrest At Inner Harbor Renews Free Speech Debate

Painter charged with peddling without license

The arrest of a man selling paintings at Baltimore's Inner Harborhas renewed debate over the confusing rules governing free speech along the waterfront promenade — an issue that already is the focus of an eight-year-old federal lawsuit.

City officials had been nearing a settlement in the lawsuit filed in 2003 by the American Civil Liberties Union, which contended that restrictions governing protests along the harbor are too restrictive. But those involved in the negotiations warn that Sunday's arrest of artist Mark Chase could complicate discussions — especially if he chooses to sue the city.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This clown is only supported by a few wet pants liberals that have found a way to sell his products, without paying any tax, or overhead, and call it "free speech". Plain as that! There is more than litter on the boardwalk, it's called trash!

Anonymous said...

So much for the constitutional right to Pursue Happiness. I guess you need a license for Happiness now, at least in Baltimore. Funny, i bet all the drug dealers that did NOT get arrested didn't have license either. And remember 10:19, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Anonymous said...

I'm usually very open-minded about this sort of thing, but I only see this one way:
This guy(sorry - this "artist")has found a loophole to allow him to setup shop - rent-free - at some of the most expensive and busiest business locations in the state.
Tell me, 10:58, that if I took a t-shirt, say one of the bigger sellers that had "Ocean City" imprinted on it, then drew a little tiny stick man on it and signed it, would that be called "art"? Who's to say? I draw a pretty cool stick man. It's my freakin' "art", and I defy you to tell me it's not.
Now I can turn around and sell it cheaply, and at a profit on the Boardwalk, because I don't have one penny of overhead to pay at that location.
Trust me... This has NOTHING to do with free speech. This is simply beating the system. Period.
If you've seen some of the "artwork" this guy puts out you'd understand much better. It reminds me of a quote by the then-Mayor of NYC, when asked to define art: "If I can do it, it ain't art."