bomb hoax at Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto
 

Well a few nights ago a suspicious package was found in the lobby of ROM, inside the bag was note with a "device", that said this is not a bomb. Long story short about two blocks of Bloor Street was closed off by Toronto Police Bomb squad to dispose the package only to discover it was a fake. News later reports that it was fake and was planted by an 3rd OCAD, Ontario College of Arts and Design, student for a film project that he was doing. According to him, in an interview with CityTV, he said he did this (if I remember correctly) to take something out of context or some mumble jumbo along those lines all in the name of art. As a result of this hoax a major AIDS charity event at the ROM had to be cancelled.

Now that background info is done.. I honestly believe that this is unacceptable for anyone to do, even in the name of "art", in the world the we now live of post 9/11. Now what piss me off the most that this art student in the same interview express no remorse in what he did in shuting down the a major part Toronto, wasting my tax(and the millions who live T.O.) dollars for his project, and cancelling an event for AIDS research. They've charged him with Common Nuisance, and Mischief Interfere With Property; in which my opinion is not sufficient enough(yeah I maybe overreacting, but heck I think I've earned the right). The bastard should be charged bomb related threat or somethin....

What do you guys think?? What do you think was acceptable in the name of art?

and whats, well for me anyways, scary as shit is that I was working at my co-op barely half a block a way from the ROM.

here's some coverage on it, so you can have a better understanding

he should be charged for faking a bomb or something not to big on laws myself or at least deported as he is a foreign national

Well to be hones ti say he had a bad timing but and the execution should have been better coordinated. I think it's perfectly fine to mae a fake bomb (or some other thing such as a "item or clothing and putting it in a certain enviroment to make it a "suspicious item" or "suspicious clothing" ). But if I were him I would have:

A) Made sure I were around the scene so incase somebody would take the project seriously you could step in and explain it's a fake (open bag, show clearly fake contents0
B) Make sure it wasn't at an inconvinient time such as during a special opening, meeting or whatever.

This reminds me of the police here getting all worked up of a bomb rucksack hanging to he sikde of a museum (of arts) with wires and all so it looked like a B movie prop (something so obviously trying to appear to be a bomb it has to be fake). The whole area was cleared and all and there was a lot of people getting worked up about it, then it turned out the museum had put the thing there with the theme of how such a simply (clearly fake) thing might cause panic. =p The police wasn't amused.

It's good to be alert, it's not good to get all worked up over every suspicious nd unattend item or object you see. Don't live in fear, use your brains, if something really seems to be fishy there are almost certainly more things to tell something isn't right. Or on the other hand, you might not have a single clue untill it hits you... somebody smart would keep a bomb hidden from view and all so not to attract any attention what so ever.

That doesn't mean everybody can just go out their and try to provoke others for the hell of it either though.

Those punishments (if they are called punishments) are too lesser.

The Museum is one of my favitote places is Toronto