Barry’s Bay stop signs made a statement on the May long weekend.
Over the weekend 25 signs had the word “Trudeau” spray painted in stencil.
Madawaska Township shared a photo noting cost for labour and new signs.
Some residents on social media asked why the signs couldn’t just be cleaned. The township replied that while they had been for now, they would need to be replaced as the protective/reflective coating on the signs was damaged while cleaning.
While much of the conversation was about the cost of replacing the signs, others said they didn’t feel the signs were an effective way to protest.
Another user commented: “We should listen to the signs.”
Graffiti has a long history of being used for political protest.
In a recent study of political graffiti, Yale professor Mitja Velikonja writes:
“Despite the increasing global digitization, graffiti remains widespread and popular, providing with a few words or images a vivid, visual indication of cultural conditions, social dynamics and power structures in a society, and provoking a variety of reactions.”
