In Oakland, Chinatown merchants are raising the alarm after many are being hit with thousands of dollars in fines for ...

Business owners in Oakland are calling on the city to do a better job at holding taggers accountable and not fine them over graffiti on their buildings.

East Oakland resident Charles Cooper likened the vehicles to "somebody's truck that was just bought from the junkyard or something." Yet, others see the graffiti as a form of urban art.

Ben Taylor, destination development manager for Visit Oakland, noted the care ... graffiti artists,” said Hon, “and graffiti has always been the art of the underdog.” ...