A city has backed down in its fight against a man's so-called toilet garden. The village of Potsdam, New York rescinded its resolution directed at Hank Robar’s gardens, which are created with old toilets filled with artificial flowers. Village trustees ordered them removed by September 1, 2020, and If not, they threatened to do it for him. However, Robar fought back and hired a lawyer. They had already won a federal court order barring the village from doing anything about the toilets until his First Amendment case was settled. Robar’s lawyers sought $7 million in damages if the village dared touch his toilets. Some people agree with Robar and think toilets are art. Others think they’re just funny. But successive village boards have seen no humor in this situation. Robar built his first toilet garden in 2004 as a protest. The village has been issuing him warnings and violations ever since.
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