Petition plan to keep graffiti bird after stand-off
The graffiti cartoon bird at the center of a nine-hour police response should be preserved rather than removed, according to an online petition with more than 4,000 signatures.
Jack Gibson-Burrell was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly scaling and spray-painting Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge with a giant cartoon bird, causing long police waits and traffic chaos.
Almost nine hours after the trial began, Gibson-Burrell surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody just before noon.
The GetUp petition calling on authorities to keep Bird Pam next to the bridge had already collected 4,320 signatures as of Thursday morning.
“While graffiti is often associated with vandalism, every now and then something pops up that goes beyond a simple spray can on concrete. ‘Pam the Bird’ has quickly become one of those rare pieces,” says organizer Eric Giodmaina.
“It has quickly become a talking point, a landmark, a social media favorite and a reminder that Melbourne’s personality is not just built by architects and politicians, but is also shaped by the creativity, humor and spontaneity of its people.”
The petition then compares Pam the Bird to other interesting Australian icons, such as the giant banana, giant prawn or an unlikely local icon.
“This petition is not about promoting illegal graffiti or suggesting that every tag deserves protection. Quite the opposite,” Mr. Giodmaina said.
“It’s about recognizing that in very rare cases, something captures the public imagination in a positive way. When that happens, perhaps the best response is not to immediately paint over it, but to recognize that public art sometimes shows up in unexpected ways.”
Gibson-Burrell was charged with 13 offenses for Tuesday’s demonstration, including theft, criminal damage, conduct endangering life and conduct endangering serious injury.
The alleged serial vandal had previously been charged with 209 offenses, including reckless conduct endangering life or endangering serious injury, criminal damage, burglary and aggravated larceny over the Pam the Bird graffiti.
He is accused of causing nearly $700,000 in damage, including to heritage-listed Victorian landmarks, by allegedly spraying the tag.
These allegations include allegations that he broke into Flinders Street Station in Melbourne in July 2024 and used the famous clock tower with a rope to paint a bird on it.
Since her arrest, a company called Bad Apples has begun selling “Free Pam” T-shirts and hoodies.
Gibson-Burrell will appear in court for arraignment on September 29.
