An activist from Charlottesville, Virginia, was charged with drawing a makeshift crosswalk with chalk. Why? Well, the community knew this intersection as a dangerous one, and officials had continued to ignore their pleas for a pedestrian crosswalk, according to The Guardian.
Videos by Suggest
Activist Charged For Vandalizing A Makeshift Crosswalk In Dangerous Intersection
So, in retaliation, Kevin Cox “vandalized” the intersection with a crosswalk of his own. In response, the authorities covered the drawing with black paint and charged him with vandalism.
Cox is a well-known activist in Charlottesville and is a proud advocate of pedestrian safety, per WVIR. This was the same intersection, between Elliot Avenue and Second Street Southeast, where a woman in October 2024 was hit and killed by a vehicle while crossing the road.
“The speed of the cars is the biggest problem,” said Cox to the outlet. “They drive too fast, and they ignore pedestrians.”
In an effort to get the attention of city officials and help the public, Cox made his own crosswalk on Saturday, May 17. He even had a crowd of supporters who cheered him on.
“I walked across the street with a line marker with a can of spray chalk, not paint,” he explained. Despite it being the same artist tool as a child would use on a sidewalk, the authorities weren’t happy.
The Charlottesville Police Department, according to the police report, couldn’t figure out if Cox used permanent paint. Because of this, they decided to remove his makeshift crosswalk with black paint.
It also noted that on the same day Cox made the sidewalk, he emailed City Manager Sam Sanders. “There is a marked crosswalk now at Second Street and Elliot Avenue in spite of you,” wrote Cox. “It’s chalk not, paint Please replace it with a real one.”
Once the police contacted him about the vandalism, Cox decided to turn himself in on Wednesday, May 21. He now faces misdemeanor charges for intentional destruction of property with a value of less than $1,000. This could mean 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Despite the severity of the punishment, Cox has a positive outlook on it. “They have provoked me, it’s not going to stop me,” he said. The activist’s first court appearance was the following Tuesday in the General District Court.