From the archives: Judge Rakoff on graffiti and Oedipus Rex

From “The Villager,” August 24, 2005

Chelsea graffiti party
Federal Judge Jed S. Rakoff on Monday ordered the Bloomberg administration to reinstate a permit for a Wed. Aug. 24 Chelsea block party featuring the painting of graffiti on mock subway cars.

In a written decision, Rakoff rejected the city’s argument that the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. event on W. 22nd St. between 10th and 11th Avenues by the designer Mark Ecko would incite people to deface property.

The city last week had granted the street-closing permit for the event involving a group of people spraying graffiti on metal panels simulating subway cars. However, the city rescinded the permit at the end of the week, saying Ecko had failed to state the particulars of the event.

Rakoff, however, dismissed the argument that the public performance would incite illegal action, saying, “By the same token, a street performance of ‘Hamlet’ would be tantamount to encouraging people to revenge murder. As for a street performance of ‘Oedipus Rex,’ don’t even think about it.”