The Sidewalk as a Protest Sign
For one New Yorker, the streets and sidewalks are a canvas for protest.
A piece of chalk and a stretch of sidewalk—that is all one New Yorker requires to stage a protest.
Raised in northern New Hampshire, Karin Schall grew up in a progressive home in a sea of red. From her earliest years, her mother instilled in her three daughters the importance of speaking up. In recent years, those values have taken the form of protest—first for civil rights and gun reform, and today, for protecting democracy.
In 2018, Karin discovered Rise and Resist, a New York nonviolent action group. Its message resonated with her. Weekly meetings soon led to actions and protests.
Then COVID hit. Stores shuttered. Schools went virtual. And the streets grew quiet.
In the swell of panic and fear, few people noticed another institution was under attack—the Post Office. “A few of us thought, ‘Let’s do a Save the Post Office action,’” shared Karin. Since a protest in front of the main post office in NYC fit within the social-distancing guidelines of the time, Karin and others organized one. On that chilly March day, a member of the group brought chalk. That was Karin’s first experience chalking. Not long afterward, she began carrying a piece of chalk in her pocket.
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It has been six years. She has chalked hundreds of messages on sidewalks, crosswalks, subway walls, and street corners. Each message is timely, responding to current events. On Mother’s Day this year, Karin wrote, “Mother’s Day 2026: When women and minorities had fewer rights than a year ago.” Last month, in yellow chalk across a low wall, the words “All eyes on Delaney Hall” brought the plight of New Jersey detainees to the forefront of passersby’s minds. Whether through speech bubbles drawn over bike-lane symbols or messages added to the ends of road signs, each chalking becomes a part of the cityscape, as if it were meant to be there.
“My husband jokes like I have pieces of chalk in every coat pocket, and there’s a little change jar up in the front of our apartment that we throw our keys... And more times than not, the change is covered with chalk dust.” As we spoke, I could picture it: pennies and mismatched keys dusted with chalk powder, and a box of sidewalk chalk wedged between winter boots.
Before she retired, Karin regularly chalked along the Upper West Side, mere feet from the Trump International Hotel sign. “When I was working, I was stopping at the Trump Hotel, and the big Trump sign was on my way to work. And I just thought, ‘Oh, this would be kind of a good place to write a message.’” And so Karin would. Every day, the message would be washed away. Every morning, a fresh concrete palette awaited—an opportunity to stage a protest of one.
As we spoke, Karin used words like empowering, bold, and joyful to describe the experience. “Whether you’re a three-year-old doing it or an 83-year-old doing it, there’s joy in writing. Even if it’s an angry message or something very targeted, there’s still joy in the sense of bending over and writing.”
Perhaps the medium speaks to a part of ourselves we left on playgrounds, a remnant that dreamed and still held onto hope. Or maybe its simplicity is what allows its voice to resonate.
Chalking is a form of protest available to all—every corner is a canvas, every sidewalk a protest sign—but Karin did offer a bit of advice. “Check your local vandalism laws.” She urged chalking novices to understand the difference between private and public property. And then, of course, there is safety. “I never chalk wearing headphones. I’m always aware of my surroundings.”
As for practical concerns, she prefers to write her messages on a notecard first. A bandana or hand wipes are also essential. Above all else, “Chalk messages that are important to you, and whether it’s local or global.”
Oh, and in case you were wondering which chalk is best, it is Dixon Railroad Chalk.
Thank you, Karin, for speaking with me. To enjoy regular chalking photographs, follow Karin on Threads or Instagram.
gonna grab some chalk, brb
Love this. People will not be silenced!