9/11 Street Activism: Legal Graffiti

What’s that you say? You don’t have any artistic talent? Anyone can make a smiley face and write 9/11 Truth! That 2 minutes of spunk from you will end up drawing in many eyes and trigger a thought not only in passersby, but in other graffiti artists as well.

I’m not artistically talented by any stretch of the imagination myself, but I’ll take you through the basics so that you feel inspired and encouraged to take the first steps. In a world dominated by imagery that has been corporately approved or produced by the advertising machine, your personal and very individual artwork will stand out, no matter what you come up with.

In recent years, there has been an increasing chokehold on our Constitutional rights to free speech and a free press. Hollywood, corporate media, and big tech have monopolized the power of suggestion to a large number of people. The streets are the foundational methods of communication for any activist, and we should avail ourselves of this powerful graffiti culture to get our message across and inspire others to consider 9/11 truths and evidence in our quest for justice.

Graffiti itself is not complicated, it’s simply a writing or drawing applied to a surface for public view, and has been done in one form or another for thousands of years. From cave paintings to modern-day street art, people have used graffiti to convey their thoughts and ideas to the public. Legal graffiti walls, also known as free walls, exist all around the world, providing a space for people to express themselves in a safe and legal manner. With mere seconds to grab someone’s attention, graffiti is a great way to convey a thought and make an impression.

However, there are ground rules that need to be followed when it comes to graffiti spots:

• Do not paint over something that is relatively new. This is a sign of disrespect to the artist who created the piece, and it also shows a lack of consideration for other artists who may want to paint on the same wall.
• Do not incorporate someone else’s piece into yours. This is a violation of the artist’s work and is generally considered to be bad form.
• Do not go further than where you’re legally supposed to paint. This could result in legal repercussions and may cause problems for other graffiti artists who want to use the same space.
• Before you paint over someone’s past work, take a picture of it and share it. This way, the artist’s work can live on even after it has been painted over.
• Take your garbage with you. Graffiti artists have a responsibility to keep their environment clean and free of litter.

Now let me take you through the steps of doing a very simple 9/11 Truth Smiley Face.

To get started, you’ll need a few basic supplies:

• Latex or Nitrile gloves
• At least 3 cans of paint: black, white, & yellow
• If it’s a large piece, I do recommend a mask with proper filters.

Imagine standing in an alley, paint can in hand. Here, you’re allowed to paint legally, so you don’t need to worry about prying eyes, or working under pressure. You look down the alley one way and then the other as you take a few steps back to view the wall and pick your spot. The rattle of the ball in the can echoes down the way as you shake the can and step towards the wall. You raise it up and press firmly on the cap.

What will you paint?

You have nothing to lose. It’s free advertising. It’s also a fun activity to include your family or friends in. While they’re painting what may speak to them, you do your thing. Don’t be intimidated by other more sophisticated-looking pieces next to yours. Yes, your first attempt may be clumsy, but you will learn, very quickly, and every subsequent creation will be better than the one before. Next thing you know, you’ll be designing a 9/11 Truth piece DaVinci would be impressed with. So, buy a few cans of paint and give it a go Michelangelo!

Oh! Send us a snapshot of your work, and we will post it!

For more, see:

Legal Walls Network
A realtime map of all graffiti walls across the globe.
https://www.legal-walls.net/

The 5 most iconic legal graffiti walls:
https://medium.com/legal-walls/the-5-most-iconic-legal-graffiti-walls-a19d38127e9a

Gene Laratonda is a construction site manager and street activist from Pittsburgh, PA who runs a weekly Zoom meeting called The 9/11 WarRoom at 911WarRoom.com that anyone is welcome to be part of Sundays at 5PM ET. The focus of the 9/11 WarRoom is news, strategy and activism. Gene has been known to step on toes, but he shoots from the hip and always wears his heart on his sleeve. Love him or hate him, he just wants justice for the crimes of 9/11.