Graffiti artist Rebel Bear paints Cardiff mural supporting wheelchair user fined £1,800
A graffiti artist who has art across the world has painted a mural in support of a wheelchair user who was told to pay more than £1,000 for repeatedly parking in a disabled bay.
Cerys Gemma lives in Cardiff Bay’s Prospect Place apartment complex where she has been allocated a standard space in the car park.
However, claiming the space too small and inaccessible, Cerys has been told to pay £1,800 in bills by New Generation Parking Management who insist the disabled bay she uses instead is just for visitors.
Now, a mural by a graffiti artist dubbed the ‘Scottish Banksy’ has appeared in Cardiff’s Ferry Road in support of Cerys, who lost the use of her legs when she was 17 in a car accident.
The mural, which depicts a parking attendant clamping Cerys’ wheelchair as she holds a penalty charge, seems to have been signed off by street muralist The Rebel Bear.
The identity of the Glasgow street artist is unknown, and they hide their identity while publicly creating work by donning a bear costume.
They are best known for their mural of a painting in Glasgow entitled Fear and Love of a male-female couple both dropping their protective masks a bit from covering their noses and mouths to engage in a kiss.
Responding to the mural of support, Cerys said: “It’s great, I felt super-encouraged by it.
"It’s good to know people are on your side fighting your corner. I was astounded by it in a good way.
"I’ve seen his stuff online and from what I gather he’s not from this area. He or she put all that effort in and I thought the creativity of it was really good.”
The Rebel Bear made headlines with their work related to the coronavirus pandemic with a mural of a nurse appearing on Ashton Lane in Glasgow. The artist also created a mural in Brooklyn, New York, called The Rotten Apple.
A New Generation spokesperson has previously said: "Miss Cerys Gemma was informed August 2020 via email: 'We are conscious that it is your intention to continue using the disabled visitors bay as your own personal space.
"However we have to make it absolutely clear that there are financial consequences to ignoring the terms and conditions that are set out on the contractual signage located at the disabled bays. Additionally we need to also make it clear that it is not your allocated bay and is for the use of all disabled visitors.
"Cerys was aware that if she continued to breach the parking terms and conditions she would continue to incur further parking charge notices. She has chosen to ignore these charges and therefore we have no choice but to take legal action through the courts. Disabled bays within Prospect Place have always been for the use of visitors only. This has not changed since Miss Gemma became a resident in July 2020.
"We are astounded to be accused of disability discrimination when we have communicated with Cerys exactly what the rules are and why they are in place.
"While we sympathise with Cerys we do not have the power to move her parking space which she agreed to when entering into the lease agreement."