By JOHN DOYLE
June 5, 2008
An artist was panned by cops and Secret Service agents yesterday for showcasing signs heralding the "assassinations" of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in a Midtown storefront window.
PHOTO GALLERY: Clinton - Obama Assassination Exhibit
The signs - actually announcements for two art exhibits - drew a slew of 911 calls from frazzled passers-by on a day both Democratic presidential hopefuls were in town.
Police cars zipped to the art space at 264 W. 40th St. at 11 a.m. after 28-year-old artist Yazmany Arboleda posted in large red and white stenciled letters the names of his two exhibits: "The Assassination of Hillary Clinton" and "The Assassination of Barack Obama."
Cops hauled Arboleda to the Midtown South station house, where he was questioned briefly and released without charges.
"We just asked him about the exhibit in general and to question him that there was no issue of a threat," said Secret Service Special Agent Kent McCarthy..
Arboleda said his exhibits were "about how the media has treated these two candidates over the past two years."
"It was never about violence," he said. "It's about character assassination."
