Skip to Content

AOL Games

New York newspaper backs free speech claim for controversial game

The last time we mentioned artist Wafaa Bilal's inflammatory Virtual Jihadi installation, it had been removed from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by administrators. Shortly after that, it was moved to an art gallery in Troy, New York -- which the city's Public Works Commissioner then shut down, citing building code violations.

Last week, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against the city official, Robert Mirch, and the city of Troy, seeking not only damages for the gallery, but a court order to block the city from using its building code in such a way in the future.

Sunday's edition of the Albany Times Union featured an editorial about the issue, offering support for the lawsuit. "What constitutes free and protected speech in Troy, and what constitutes public safety and unacceptable building code violations, aren't merely matters of fiat," the editorial opens. "They aren't simply up to the whims of Robert Mirch. They shouldn't be, at least." Now we'll know the reason if the Albany paper is shut down tomorrow.

[Via GamePolitics]

Tags: civil-liberties, iraq, protest, troy-new-york, virtual-jihadi, wafaa-bilal

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Joystiq Features





Featured Galleries

Comet Crash

Comet Crash

Darksiders (11-06-09)

Darksiders (11-06-09)

Skate 3

Skate 3

Mass Effect 2 (11-06-09)

Mass Effect 2 (11-06-09)

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS)

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS)

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (Wii)

T-Freestyle NW (Wii)

T-Freestyle NW (Wii)

Whizzle (UDK)

Whizzle (UDK)

Unreal Development Kit (UDK)

Unreal Development Kit (UDK)

 


Team Joystiq

 
Chris Grant
Editor-in-Chief, Email
James Ransom-Wiley
Managing Editor, Email
Ludwig Kietzmann
Senior Editor, Email
Andrew Yoon
East Coast Editor, Email
Randy Nelson
West Coast Editor, Email
Justin McElroy
Reviews Editor, Email
Justin Glow
Developer, Email

Joystiq Podcast

New episodes every Friday! Now playing: Joystiq Podcast 115, for Friday, Oct., 30.



Archive | RSS | iTunes