Glasgow, Graffiti and Politicians
I wrote to the Cllr Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow council, over a week ago about the growing problem of ugly graffiti and vandalism in the city centre - here's what I had to say.
Dear Cllr Aitken
Glasgow Graffiti
Wake Up, Glasgow! (06/01/21)
One of the three Billy Connolly murals in Glasgow has again been targeted by vandals.
I have no idea why this mural in the Gallowgate should be singled out for such treatment because the other two remain unscathed, as far as I know.
The mentality of people who behave in this way is pretty unfathomable, but hopefully they will be caught and suitably punished.
How nice is this? - Billy Connolly is 'flabbergasted' at three new murals celebrating the Big Yin's life and times in his home city of Glasgow.
The murals are a 75th birthday present to Connolly, based on original portraits by the Scottish artists John Byrne, Jack Vettriano and Rachel MacLean.
I suspect it will be hard to pass by any of these buildings without thinking fondly of Connolly who is a great ambassador for Glasgow and Scotland - such a great tribute to one of the funniest men in the world.
The Glasgow Times reports that the 'looney tune' team behind ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards) have extended their activities to other memorials in the city.
Now this has nothing directly to do with anti-racist campaigns or Black Lives Matter - it's just a group of self-righteous pricks trying to hijack an important issue by spray painting a juvenile message of 'Fuck the Polis'.
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18506614.teams-rapid-removal-graffiti/
Teams in rapid removal of graffiti from Glasgow statues after BLM protests
By Stewart Paterson - Glasgow Times
Lord Roberts statue
Council teams have been cleaning up graffiti from statues after several across the city were targeted following anti racism protests in Glasgow.
Statues in George Square, Cathedral Square and Kelvingrove park were vandalised with slogans spray painted onto plinths
Three statues in Kelvingrove park were targeted.
Glasgow City Council said it was aware of the strong feelings towards links to slavery of certain individuals who have statues but cannot condone the vandalism of public monuments.
The bust of Thomas Carlyle at the bridge over the River Kelvin was sprayed.
Yards away on the opposite bank of the river, the memorial to the Highland Light Infantry was sprayed with BLM and an offensive anti police slogan.
At the top of the park at the Park Circus entrance the statue of Lord Roberts, who had led military in South Africa and India, was also sprayed with BLM.
In Cathedral Square the statue of King William III was also targeted with anti-police graffiti.
In George Square the statue of Robert Peel was daubed with paint and slogans.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland condemned the vandalism and issued a statement along with a photograph of the damage to the King William Statue.
It said: “The Orange Order are rightly proud of the civil and religious liberties delivered by King William III that our citizens enjoy today.
“However civil rights and liberty come with a responsibility to act lawfully and uphold government medical advice not to gather publicly in order to protect lives.
“We call on the Leader of Glasgow City Council and the First Minister to condemn these offensive acts and provide Police Scotland with the necessary resource to protect our public memorials.”
The council condemned the vandalism and said work had already been started to look into how the city’s history with slavery is represented.
Council teams worked quickly on Sunday and Monday to remove the paint and return the statues to normal.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “The graffiti that appeared on statues in George Square, Kelvingrove Park and other places over the weekend has been removed or is in the course of being removed.
“We are acutely aware of the strength of feeling that exists over Glasgow’s links to trans-Atlantic slavery and the determination many have for change in how the city’s history should be regarded.
“We have commissioned an in-depth academic study on the city’s links to the historical slave trade and how that has shaped the streets, statues and buildings of modern Glasgow.
“The findings of this study will be put forward for consultation and the public’s voice will be heard on how the city should respond.
“We cannot condone damage to public property and our community safety teams will link with police on how further damage can be avoided, including through the use of CCTV.”
Here's a message from a group which operates under the acronym of ACAB - All Cops Are Bastards.
ACAB would have us believe that policing is fundamentally violent, corrupt, oppressive and beyond reform - and their poster ends with the announcement that the police are the 'enemy of the people'.
Now I have my criticisms of Police Scotland, but this seems a tad 'over the top' to me so I'm going to start up my own rival group which I plan to call AAAB (All Anarchists Are Bastards).
In the meantime, I would like Glasgow City Council to remove this juvenile street graffiti and chuck it in the bin - because it's definitely not worth preserving.
The city centre of Glasgow seems to have a growing problem with graffiti.
I wrote about this on my blog recently and illustrated the point with some recent photos from the area around Clyde Street, Glassford Street, Argyll Street and London Road - see post below dated 06 January 2021.
I am in the process of writing to my local councillors in the Calton ward which has its own problems, but the whole of the city centre is affected by this kind of anti-social behaviour and is the reason I am raising the issue directly with you as the Council Leader.
I would like to know what strategy the Council is developing to tackle the problem and how local people can play their part in stamping this out going forwards.
Kind regards
Mark Irvine
I received the following automated acknowledgement to my email although I am still waiting on a substantive reply:
"Thank you for contacting me. Unfortunately, as result of the current Council response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the City Chambers is closed to the public and the Council staff who would normally process issues raised by Councillors are concentrating on critical Council services and our emergency response. In light of this no routine enquires are being processed via Councillors until circumstances permit normal service to resume."
Now I realise this is not an easy problem to solve and I appreciate lots of people are working from home - I am myself, I just work differently these days.
So you'd think the Council would be keen to explain its strategy and generally welcome the support of local residents going forwards - because parts of the city centre are turning into an ugly, unsightly mess.
Wake Up, Glasgow! (06/01/21) 
Glasgow city centre has a real and growing problem with graffiti - lots of buildings have been spray painted and the area around South Portland Street suspension bridge is a real eyesore these days.
In my experience this kind of wanton vandalism just gets worse, if everyone turns an blind eye to the problem.
So I hope Glasgow council has a strategy for cleaning up the city's streets and for tracking down people who think this kind of moronic behaviour is just harmless fun.
Glasgow, Graffiti and Scumbags (22/12/20)
Here's more idiotic graffiti that someone has sprayed on a building in London Road in the wake of Sunday's Scottish Cup final.
Has to be the same kind of moronic person who vandalised the Billy Connolly mural over in the Gallowgate.
Glasgow, Graffiti and Scumbags (25/06/20)
One of the three Billy Connolly murals in Glasgow has again been targeted by vandals.
I have no idea why this mural in the Gallowgate should be singled out for such treatment because the other two remain unscathed, as far as I know.
The mentality of people who behave in this way is pretty unfathomable, but hopefully they will be caught and suitably punished.
Glasgow, Graffiti and Scumbags (12/06/18)
Every town and city has its fair share of scumbags and Glasgow is no exception.
Here's some evidence to demonstrate the point - one of Glasgow's three Billy Connolly murals defaced with juvenile graffiti by some mindless thug.
Here's some evidence to demonstrate the point - one of Glasgow's three Billy Connolly murals defaced with juvenile graffiti by some mindless thug.
I'm sure the local community must know the person responsible for this ugly, anti-social behaviour, so let's hope that someone does the right thing.
Connolly 'Flabbergasted' (13/06/17)
How nice is this? - Billy Connolly is 'flabbergasted' at three new murals celebrating the Big Yin's life and times in his home city of Glasgow.
The murals are a 75th birthday present to Connolly, based on original portraits by the Scottish artists John Byrne, Jack Vettriano and Rachel MacLean.
I suspect it will be hard to pass by any of these buildings without thinking fondly of Connolly who is a great ambassador for Glasgow and Scotland - such a great tribute to one of the funniest men in the world.
All Anarchists Are Bastards 2 (11/06/20)
The Glasgow Times reports that the 'looney tune' team behind ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards) have extended their activities to other memorials in the city.
Now this has nothing directly to do with anti-racist campaigns or Black Lives Matter - it's just a group of self-righteous pricks trying to hijack an important issue by spray painting a juvenile message of 'Fuck the Polis'.
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18506614.teams-rapid-removal-graffiti/
Teams in rapid removal of graffiti from Glasgow statues after BLM protests
By Stewart Paterson - Glasgow Times
Lord Roberts statue
Council teams have been cleaning up graffiti from statues after several across the city were targeted following anti racism protests in Glasgow.
Statues in George Square, Cathedral Square and Kelvingrove park were vandalised with slogans spray painted onto plinths
Three statues in Kelvingrove park were targeted.
Glasgow City Council said it was aware of the strong feelings towards links to slavery of certain individuals who have statues but cannot condone the vandalism of public monuments.
The bust of Thomas Carlyle at the bridge over the River Kelvin was sprayed.
Yards away on the opposite bank of the river, the memorial to the Highland Light Infantry was sprayed with BLM and an offensive anti police slogan.
At the top of the park at the Park Circus entrance the statue of Lord Roberts, who had led military in South Africa and India, was also sprayed with BLM.
In Cathedral Square the statue of King William III was also targeted with anti-police graffiti.
In George Square the statue of Robert Peel was daubed with paint and slogans.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland condemned the vandalism and issued a statement along with a photograph of the damage to the King William Statue.
It said: “The Orange Order are rightly proud of the civil and religious liberties delivered by King William III that our citizens enjoy today.
“However civil rights and liberty come with a responsibility to act lawfully and uphold government medical advice not to gather publicly in order to protect lives.
“We call on the Leader of Glasgow City Council and the First Minister to condemn these offensive acts and provide Police Scotland with the necessary resource to protect our public memorials.”
The council condemned the vandalism and said work had already been started to look into how the city’s history with slavery is represented.
Council teams worked quickly on Sunday and Monday to remove the paint and return the statues to normal.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “The graffiti that appeared on statues in George Square, Kelvingrove Park and other places over the weekend has been removed or is in the course of being removed.
“We are acutely aware of the strength of feeling that exists over Glasgow’s links to trans-Atlantic slavery and the determination many have for change in how the city’s history should be regarded.
“We have commissioned an in-depth academic study on the city’s links to the historical slave trade and how that has shaped the streets, statues and buildings of modern Glasgow.
“The findings of this study will be put forward for consultation and the public’s voice will be heard on how the city should respond.
“We cannot condone damage to public property and our community safety teams will link with police on how further damage can be avoided, including through the use of CCTV.”
All Anarchists Are Bastards (09/06/20)
Here's a message from a group which operates under the acronym of ACAB - All Cops Are Bastards.
ACAB would have us believe that policing is fundamentally violent, corrupt, oppressive and beyond reform - and their poster ends with the announcement that the police are the 'enemy of the people'.
Now I have my criticisms of Police Scotland, but this seems a tad 'over the top' to me so I'm going to start up my own rival group which I plan to call AAAB (All Anarchists Are Bastards).
In the meantime, I would like Glasgow City Council to remove this juvenile street graffiti and chuck it in the bin - because it's definitely not worth preserving.
