Parking space made ‘for drug dealers only’ and ‘needle free zone’ signs put up by activists in London

Activists created a fake parking space for drug dealers in London

A street art campaign by artists has replaced east London road signs to highlight the current levels of local drug dealing. The anti-drugs community activists sought to demonstrate the problem in the E2 postcode area, in Shoreditch, East London, where dealers reportedly sell the cheapest heroin in Europe. The artists installed six traffic signs, with one warning dealers that the area is a "Needle Free Zone" and spray painted a mock parking space labelled "Drug Dealers Only". Credit Columbia Road Cartel art group One sign instructed road users to "give way to oncoming drug dealers", whilst another lamppost was labelled a "crack pickup point" by the group. The on-road graffiti has now been removed by the council. When JOE visited the area the anger towards authorities over the crime problem was apparent. A local resident told JOE: “It’s [the parking space] been removed, it was about 6 o’clock last night that they did it. But they don’t come and clear all the needles away.” https://twitter.com/BrickLaneArt/status/1041391332219072513 The Weavers Community Action Group commissioned the street signs after forming in April this year as a response to the prevalence of drugs in E2, which it claims has become "a normal part of daily life". The group boasts around 70 members who are residents near Columbia Road.