After the mural of the Beau Dommage group last October, it is the turn of the mural of Paul, the hero of cartoonist Paul Rabagliati, to be vandalized this week in Montreal.
“Well, congratulations to BROST (I think) for his magnificent, sensitive and respectful work which now covers half of my mural at the Bouquinerie du Plateau on rue Mont-Royal,” wrote cartoonist Michel Rabagliati sarcastically in a Facebook post that quickly went viral.
The artist published a photo of the graffiti in question covering a good part of his work which has adorned the corner of Mont-Royal Avenue and Saint-Hubert Street for several years. Several friends and citizens have expressed their indignation and anger at this gesture.
Photo Agence QMI, Mario Beauregard
“What a waste! It hurt me when I saw the mural vandalized Wednesday evening. When I walk in my neighborhood in the gray of winter, these murals illuminate me,” wrote Québec solidaire activist and MP for Mercier, Ruba Ghazal.
“Disgusting! A total lack of respect for such a beautiful mural! Grrrr!”, added a user.
“A very powerful Street Art proposal that beautifies not only our city, but our lives! Thank you BROST, magician of the canne, you are an immense artist, you will go far, I love you!” continued Michel Rabagliati, still with sarcasm.
The Quebec Journal
Antifascist graffiti artists
The damage is the work of an anti-fascist graffiti organization called NTFA (whose signature can clearly be seen on the graffiti). This marginal group was even the subject of a video report by VICE Quebec in January 2019. The media followed some of these masked graffiti artists as they roamed the streets of Montreal at night.
“We mark our territory… In our case, it is an act which is thoughtful, which is political, which is artistic, cultural and it is a reappropriation of public space”, claimed one of them under cover of anonymity.
“We are in the street, we make it known, we have a message to convey and we make it known,” added another hooded graffiti artist, explaining that their style is “unaesthetic.”
“We are a little against graffiti which is precisely “aesthetic”, the type of graffiti which goes towards wall art. It has to be dirty and it has to leak,” one of them also said, laughing.
Furthermore, this is not the first time that the Bouquinerie du Plateau has been the target of taggers and vandals.
