Bristol student charged after writing on pavement with chalk
A Bristol student has been charged with criminal damage after writing civil liberties slogans on a pavement in chalk, police confirmed today.
Paul Saville, 23, a second-year sociology and criminology student at the University of the West of England, is alleged to have written two messages on pavements in Broadmead using water soluble chalk.
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Bristol student Paul Saville who has been charged with criminal damage after writing on pavement with chalk
The first read: "Liberty. The right to question it. The right to ask: Are we free?"
The second said: "As the buildings go up, the wages go down."
Avon and Somerset police confirmed it had charged Mr Saville with causing criminal damage under the value of £5,000.
He appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on February 18, where he entered a not guilty plea and will appear again on April 9.
Mr Saville, who lives in Bond Street, said he was locked in a cell for two hours and forced to give DNA samples.
He said: "I don't think I have done anything wrong. I considered it to be a fun way of conveying my message.
"The whole reason I was writing in chalk was because I wanted to get my message across without causing lasting damage.
"Children use chalk on the streets for hopscotch and some cafes advertise with chalk on the pavement so I don't understand why they treated me like this."
The first incident took place at around lunchtime on January 15, near the centre of Broadmead.
The said that within minutes he was approached by four policeman who ordered him to stop. He said he wrote a final letter and was arrested. He was released with a caution.
A month later, on February 4, he carried out a similar protest on a pavement by The Galleries car park, on which he wrote the second message.
Police approached him and checked his records before he was taken to a police station where he underwent the same procedures and charged.
Mr Saville said: "This is normal playground chalk. I was merely highlighting the point that we are losing civil liberties in the UK. This is something we should be thinking about.
"To arrest and prosecute me is a waste of the court's time, police time and taxpayers' money.
"You could say what I was doing was deviant behaviour but I never thought I would be arrested.
"If these really are such dangerous times surely the police could use their time and resources more effectively than this.
"I am sure people will say it was a bit daft getting caught twice but I feel adamant that I should be standing up and speaking out for my rights.
"I understand that if everyone started using chalk all over the place it would be a mess but surely people can see how ridiculous this is."
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed Paul has been charged and is due to appear in court next month.
A spokesman declined to comment further due to the pending court appearance.
41 Comments
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by Matt, Bath
Thursday, April 09 2009, 8:52PM
“Well what a lot of talk about a petty, stilly act. More to do with the person than about the message I think. As others have said very well below stop moaning and enlightening others and do something constructive. Got to Italy and help with the rescue, help raise money for starving children across the world, volunteer for charity work or even get a job. Glib statements but come on! All those who agree with this should invite the young lad around (I don¿t say man as he has a lot of growing up to do) and let him decorate your front door or garden path. No one is put out because you will agree with what he is doing and he can exorcise his passion freely. Too many here want to wing about a society that makes too may excuses and fails to see the reality. You are all too self centric and full of self importance. You are not important until you give more than you take and most of you have taken far more than you have given so far. One day I am sure you will discover that. And as for his education suffering, I think he is getting some very good lessons in life, and at the tax payers expense. I am now going to look at the important news.”
by Christian, English Not British Not European
Saturday, April 04 2009, 6:27PM
“Typical of the stupid laws this Dictatorial Govt promoting Lisbon Treaty Nazism, this is only the beginning you are being watched everywhere, soon there be kicking your down, for having a quiet fag in the outside Loo ! you have been warned ! we need to fight Labours Stalinist Regime, Rise Up & Be Counted English & Proud !”
by Philip Morris, Alvor (ex Barton Hill)
Thursday, April 02 2009, 9:12AM
“Here in Portugal the local media are carrying the story, what a waste of everyones time, but at least the question is answered, NO is the answer. On my return I look forward to shalking the question and answer on the walls of the New Courts.”
by janet, Bristol
Tuesday, March 24 2009, 2:29PM
“Good on you Paul. If I was you I'd be talking to my local politicians about this waste of funds. How come they manage to spot and arrest someone chalking a message, yet they don't manage to spot and arrest litter bugs, vandals or thugs? Keep it up Paul. We need you.”
by Protester, Henley
Monday, March 23 2009, 1:33PM
“Perhaps all the people of Bristol who think the Police action is heavy handed should write their protests in water soluble chalk on the walls and pavements at the Court or Police station - and keep doing so till the Police allow freedom of speech and protest in this form? It is a pretty trivial and temporary form of comment or protest to be fair so WTF is their problem?”
by Tom, bristol
Monday, March 23 2009, 12:17PM
“I'm all for raising awareness and that, but when is Paul going to stop antagonising people through petty acts of vandalism and actually START DOING SOMETHING that might be of real benefit to the causes he believes in. Stop writing on pavements, telling everyone what¿s wrong with the world, and get a job/role in society where you can actually start making these things better. All you have done is open a debate on whether or not you should be able to write in chalk on pavements, which in the scheme of things is pretty irrelevant, and your message has been lost, and the solution to the cause, well that¿s even further away still¿.. I admire your passion and your beliefs, but I loathe the way you go about expressing them. Do something positive for a change, even if It doesn¿t involve self publicising yourself ¿ it¿s far more honerable and productive.”
by jayne, bedminster
Sunday, March 22 2009, 9:17AM
“A cheap and enviromentally friendly way to get a message across!! of course the best way was to be mouthy and violent you probably wouldnt have got arrested. tut tut. William Wallace speaks yet again, FREEDOM !!!!!!! By the way what does that word mean?”
by Bik, Southampton
Sunday, March 22 2009, 8:38AM
“Well done to Paul for doing his bit to reclaim the streets. To those that criticise him... snap out of it, for pity's sake, A happy slave is the greatest enemy of freedom.”
by Liz, Bristol
Sunday, March 22 2009, 7:39AM
“Just further evidence that we are sleep walking into a totalitarian state.”
by Richard, England
Saturday, March 21 2009, 7:51PM
“Reading the comments below I find it extremely disturbing that some people think the police (re)action was justified. It's CHALK you silly people!
And even if it was the most permanent paint money can buy - Mr Saville is trying to awaken an apathetic and pacified population ignorant to our political reality Now.
It's not graffiti - it's a message. it's reclaiming the media from the likes of Rupert Murdoch, straight from me to you.
What is so fantastic about mile upon mile of grey pavement that makes an expression, a message, an attempt at connection, so terrible that someone can be hauled away in the back of a van.
Rebel against Tyranny. It's our liberal Lockean right, it is, in fact, our duty.”