‘Occupation of Alcatraz’ graffiti (news)

Putting graffiti in a national park is a federal offense. So it’s more than a little unusual that the National Park Service is not only allowing, but has actually restored some graffiti left during a protest held by Native Americans inside the former prison site Alcatraz.

"We restored it because it has a social significance," Alcatraz Site Supervisor Marcus Koenen told theSan Francisco Chronicle. "It is part of what this park is all about."

The once-notorious prison, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Fransisco, was occupied from the winter of 1969 through the spring of 1971 by a group of Native Americans after the prison had closed.