So Sad - Tolerance Exhibit Defaced In Park (in St. Pete Fl

[velocity]

Dec 15, 2003

Tolerance Exhibit Defaced In Park
By CASSIO FURTADO
[e-mail]

ST. PETERSBURG - An exhibit that has toured the world with messages of peace and understanding was slashed and defaced Sunday, a day after it was unveiled in a St. Petersburg park. Police call the destruction a hate crime.
The exhibit, titled ``Coexistence,'' shows visitors 39 large panels reproducing original works of art that urge tolerance between people of different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Each work is 16 feet wide and 10 feet high.

The panels, displayed at South Straub Park, were to stay there until Jan. 25, when the exhibit was to travel to Sarasota.

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The exhibit has toured cities including Berlin, Sarajevo in Bosnia- Herzegovina, and Cape Town, South Africa. In the United States, scheduled destinations include Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington and New York.

St. Petersburg was the exhibition's second U.S. stop, after Miami, according to the exhibition's Web site. Goldman said that starting today, school groups will visit the exhibit.

There was no security at the exhibit, he said, because there had been no problems reported since the exhibit began touring the world in 2001.

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[GOPisEvil]

1. Boy, I'm proud of my fellow citizens today...

:eyes:

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. Tolerance is not a popular concept in the US these days

I'm surprised that no one took that into consideration when scheduling visits to US cities.

[velocity]

3. But it was OK in Miami

but in St. Pete.....

[La_Serpiente]

4. Only in the US

this is loco. We are supposed to be the harbringer of tolerance and understand. Who the hell would do something like that???

[soup]

5. How sad.

Here's a link to the full article:
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGA99EU28OD.html

and a link to view the exhibit (undamaged) online:

>snip<
As "Coexistence" travels, local competitions are held in host cities and the most intriguing works are added to the exhibition during its journey. The exhibition also serves as the focal point for many other activities on the theme of coexistence. The posters are mounted in a central and meaningful location in each city and parallel to the exhibition, concerts, workshops, seminars, round table discussions, film festivals and children's activities are held on the theme of coexistence.
>snip<
http://www.coexistence.art.museum/eng/exhibitions/traveling.htm