Please note that this does not take issue with the American flag but with the artist's actions and words claiming to represent it

Scott Lobaido is a toxic representation of Staten Island who considers himself an "artist/patriot/activist". He has incited violence and rebellion amongst his base both in the coup to overthrow democracy at the capitol and at the protests that took place at Mac's Public House.

He spews hate and anger publicly and on his social media accounts. He makes threats against elected officials and private citizens on a regular basis via his social media and in person. Lobaido is directly involved in motivating his base to get out of hand and emboldens them to act above the law unapologetically. He has dozens, if not hundreds, of American flags painted on the island in public spaces and private property, including public schools and small businesses alike. He is, in fact, a major force of influence in the disgusting acts we have seen in this city and country in the past few years and his art should not be embedded so deeply in our borough.

I am calling on artists, community leaders, small businesses, city organizations, and elected officials to address this and do what is within their means, respective of free speech, to replace these flags with murals from the many talented artists we have on Staten Island. There is a lot of potential in this endeavor that can aesthetically transform the island for the better in representation of ALL of the borough's residents. Ultimately, this is a call to take back visible and public space in OUR home from hypocrisy, ignorance, and hatred.

This person does not represent the ideals of the city, Department of Education, and many islanders as well. His art should be replaced with work that represents all of us and is truly patriotic.

Additional action steps include citing this petition in formal communication to locations.

UPDATE: Please use the comments section to effectively communicate your very legitimate and real reasons for supporting this petition. Lobaido and his supporters have already lashed out on Instagram and he directly referred to a community-based account as "a bunch of sad cnts" for sharing the petition. He has also doxxed an elementary school teacher on the island for simply sharing. We must always act better than that and strive towards success in allowing people to understand why this is important to those who live here and see the influence he has on a place we call home. We respect other's first amendment rights and that means respecting our own to let others know why this is a positive and important endeavor for islanders. We cannot allow anyone to be bullied or intimidated.