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Susan Birns, co-chair of the Berkshire Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force's planning committee, re-installs posters at Park Square on Thursday.
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Some of the posters were re-installed across the street for some reason.

Mystery Group Removes Anti-Harassment Posters From Park Square

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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The posters were found across the street, some piled up by the church, some stuck back into the ground.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A strange act of vandalism occurred on Tuesday around noon when the Berkshire Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force's art installation in Park Square that calls attention to street harassment was taken down and moved.

It is not clear whether this was a prank or an act of harassment.

"Somebody thought it would be amusing to take down all our signs and move them across the street and put them on the church and the bank lawns," planning committee co-chair Susan Birns said, who went immediately to the scene when notified by a task force member around 4 on Tuesday.

"I was really upset because I thought it was a hate crime. I mean, every one of those signs had a woman on it, and almost all of them were women of color and I didn't like it and I wasn't entertained."

All 30 signs that depict illustrations from Tatyana Fazlalizadeh’s book "Stop Telling Women to Smile: Stories of Street Harassment and How We're Taking Back Our Power" were removed from Park Square and put into piles on lawns with about 10 of them being displayed upright.

The display is one part of the "One Book, One Community" event that also includes a communitywide read of Fazlalizadeh’s book and a public webinar.

The signs were not damaged or vandalized. They are a monthlong installation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and have a very serious meaning. They have been on display for a couple of weeks.

Birns called the Pittsfield Police and found out that an officer noticed a group of people taking down the signs on their lunch break but was not aware that it was an unaffiliated party or an act of vandalism.


She clarified that she did her due diligence before becoming upset about the relocated installation by contacting the highway superintendent to confirm that the city had not taken them down.

She also contacted the neighboring churches — St. Stephen’s Parish and the First Church of Christ —that also confirmed that they too had nothing to do with it.

Through the lens of a prank, Birns said she could find humor in the situation as long as it doesn’t happen again, but a hate crime, she said, is obviously just unacceptable.

The signs were replaced in their intended area on Thursday.

"I don't know why it happened. It's unfortunate," Birns said. "I would say it's a story with a happy ending because these things are going to be up through April and it's important that nobody messes with them.  My point of the campaign is against street harassment and moving them around is a way of harassment."

Residents are encouraged to contact the Berkshire Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force with information on this incident. As of now, it is a bizarre mystery.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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