The red goats of Kingston is a controversial public art display which appeared in the stockade district of Kingston, New York, in October 2011. The artists responsible for the goats, which were stenciled on newly installed planters in front of area businesses, were apprehended and charged with several crimes. One, the owner of a tattoo shop in the area, had publicly praised the unknown vandals. His Facebook page showed a picture of a very similar goat that he had tattooed on several people in exchange for $37. Speculation that the graffiti was placed by opponents of the Pike Plan project was not supported by the suspects' testimony. Nevertheless, a debate emerged about whether to preserve the stencils as art or remove them as vandalism. The goats were removed by the contractors renovating the neighborhood. History and appearance The red goats are stencils which were painted onto a number of white planters and other locations around Kingston's Stockade District from October 24–26, 2011. Varying reports claim that 32, 33, or 38 football-sized red goat stencils appeared throughout the uptown area. The goats were placed on eleven planters which had been installed as part of a renovation project known as the Pike Plan, just prior to the project's dedication. Numbers were painted over the goat stencilled designs the following night. The Pike Plan is a renovation project which is largely focused on restoring canopies which had originally been installed on uptown Kingston buildings in the 1970s; critics of the project advocated instead for removing them and using the funds for other projects. It is named for John Pike, the artist who originally designed the canopies. Many of the property owners who advocated the removal of the canopies, rather than their restoration, did not feel that the project had a thorough public hearing. The cost of maintenance of the canopies is raised by means of a special tax assessment on the owners of the 39 properties affected. The large, white sidewalk planters upon which most of the goats appeared were only a small part of the larger renovation plan. The goats were first covered with plastic sheeting, and then removed with paint thinner; the process involved replacing the sealer on the planters, and was estimated to cost $5,000. Despite the original icons being covered, figures of the red goats were included in the parade which celebrated the completion of the plan. Investigation and