One person puts a banner up in a public street. Another takes it down. Is any person stealing? Does it matter if either person lives in the area? Who is the “owner” of a public street?
Answer:
Nobody “owns” the public street.
It is permitted to put up a broadside, but if somebody thinks that it is offensive, threatening etc. he can take it down – as customary on the Haredi street.
Once a person places his broadside in the public domain, he takes the chance that somebody will take it down, and this is not “gezel.”
In general, our streets would be better off without banners and broadsides, which are often put up by extremists and don’t really contribute to public awareness and debate.
Best wishes.
