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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/19/rome-decorum-cops-remove-mural-depicting-pope-graffiti-artist
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| Rome 'decorum cops' remove mural depicting pope as graffiti artist Rome 'decorum cops' remove mural depicting pope as graffiti artist | |
| (2 months later) | |
| A larger-than-life mural showing Pope Francis as a sneaky graffiti artist painting peace signs on a wall near the Vatican was taken down by Rome’s “decorum cops” just hours after it went up. | A larger-than-life mural showing Pope Francis as a sneaky graffiti artist painting peace signs on a wall near the Vatican was taken down by Rome’s “decorum cops” just hours after it went up. |
| The mural showed the pope on a stepladder playing noughts and crosses by painting circular peace signs in place of zeros while a Swiss guard in a billowing uniform acts as a lookout. | The mural showed the pope on a stepladder playing noughts and crosses by painting circular peace signs in place of zeros while a Swiss guard in a billowing uniform acts as a lookout. |
| Street artist Mauro Pallotta, who signs his work as Maupal, painted it on paper in his studio and pasted it up with glue and lacquer overnight. | Street artist Mauro Pallotta, who signs his work as Maupal, painted it on paper in his studio and pasted it up with glue and lacquer overnight. |
| But early on Wednesday afternoon, a maroon van marked “Decorum Squad of the City of Rome” arrived carrying city sanitation workers, who blasted the artwork off the wall with high-pressure water sprayers. | But early on Wednesday afternoon, a maroon van marked “Decorum Squad of the City of Rome” arrived carrying city sanitation workers, who blasted the artwork off the wall with high-pressure water sprayers. |
| Local media have criticised the unit, ridiculed as “the decorum cops”, for removing popular art while unsightly graffiti blights many buildings and heaps of rubbish pile up on pavements because of a collection backlog. | Local media have criticised the unit, ridiculed as “the decorum cops”, for removing popular art while unsightly graffiti blights many buildings and heaps of rubbish pile up on pavements because of a collection backlog. |
| Last year, the squad took down another of Pallotta’s creations in the same neighbourhood. It showed Francis as Superman taking off into the air and carrying a black briefcase bearing the word “valores”, Spanish for values. | Last year, the squad took down another of Pallotta’s creations in the same neighbourhood. It showed Francis as Superman taking off into the air and carrying a black briefcase bearing the word “valores”, Spanish for values. |