Pinckney resident says local officials washed away lawful sidewalk Pride display
During Pride Month in June, it's not uncommon for displays such as temporary sidewalk art to pop up in honor of the month.
It is uncommon for that sidewalk art to be washed away, according to locals. A Pickney man says a sidewalk art display in the city was removed by Livingston County law enforcement officers.
"They used safe paint and painted their own lawful display, and the local PD harassed them about their display and threatened to charge them with a crime. Our DPW came out, and embarrassingly spray-painted tempera paint off the sidewalk," said Adam Schingecz, a Pinckney resident.
Schingecz said that he and another Pickney resident painted the Pride display on the sidewalk outside of his house on June 1 to celebrate. Schingecz's painting survived, but the other resident's sidewalk painting was washed away by law enforcement.
The community group Stand Against Extremism, also known as SAGE, posted about the incident and displayed photos of the display being washed away earlier this week.
"I grew up here. I know that these people exist out here, I just thought we had come a bit further than screaming epithets at people," said Schingecz.
The Village of Pinckney's government offices are closed on Fridays. CBS News Detroit reached out to Village President Jeffrey Buerman and Police Chief Jeffrey Garrison for comment, but didn't hear back. Schingecz said he thinks his display hasn't been removed because he has lived in Pinckney for decades.
"The community member that was treated very poorly by the local law enforcement for their lawful display just moved here," Schingecz said. "Nobody is coming to spray mine off because they'll have to see me at dinner. They know I know their kids. I know their kids' kids. I know their grandparents. I go to church with their neighbor. They'll have to deal with me in a much different way."
Schingecz said he and SAGE are hosting a Pride picnic this weekend in the hope of showing the community that celebrating Pride isn't a threat.
"We'll have snacks and giggles and some safe, happy music, and really just be like 'Hi, this is me, this is you, we're friends here, we are the people who support each other," he said.
