Barack Like Me

Creator of Iconic Obama Hope poster was arrested in Denver

This is a story I hadn't heard. His imagery was everywhere in Denver. The frisbie has an adaptation of his original "Obey" type of image. Throngs of people snatched up merchandise everywhere, official and unofficial. People came from all over the country just to sell. The "party" image is from the Hope design. Image in plastic is from Portland Saturday Market. I have a huge signed version in my living room.

So what is the story of the arrest?

He was one of 152 arrested (compared with maybe 800 at the RNC convention in St. Paul the following week.) Shepard Fairey is one of the most famous street artists in the world. He was part of the Manifest Hope gallery show inspired by Barack Obama. On August 25, Fairey took a break from hanging the show and wheat pasted a few to buildings, along with a small film crew. They were then jailed at "Gitmo on the Platte" warehouse. The same night, police sprayed down around 300 "anarchists" near Civic Center Park and arrested 100 of them. Fairey was bailed out by his wife for $500 bucks after pleading guilty to "interference" but having charges of "unauthorized posting" dropped. He also had to pay $171 fine.

Fairey has been arrested thirteen times before for hanging art illegally. They were apprehended by cops in full riot gear who drew guns. “Get on the fucking ground or we’re going to kick you in the fucking head" is what they said. Fairey and his crew spent sixteen hours in jail during which time they ate PBJ sandwiches, played paper football and hung with anarchists. He intends to continue noctural posting. "I enjoy it. I think it’s really important too. It would take me having potential jail time to quit postering and that’s not likely to happen.”

(photos by Slugbug)