Troy

The city's Bureau of Code Enforcement may have just brought another round of unwanted international attention to the Collar City by posting an eviction notice at 51 Third St.

The Yes Men, a group that plays pranks with a political message, have a tie to the address.

The eviction notice was slapped up on the building Friday after a group met there to discuss the plans to protest police brutality in the city. Signs promoting Tuesday's anti-brutality march are posted in a building window.

The eviction notice cites a section of the city code by number. That translates into a lack of a certificate of a certificate of occupancy, which surprised Igor Vamos, who's owned the property for 13 years.

Vamos is one of The Yes Men. A media artist, he's also an associate professor of media arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Vamos is wrapping up his latest film, "The Yes Men Are Revolting."

"I could definitely build something around this," Vamos said about bringing Troy into the picture.

Currently lecturing in Sweden, Vamos said in a telephone interview Monday that this situation is eerily similar to the 2008 incident when the then Republican-controlled city administration shut down the Sanctuary for Independent Media in what became a freedom of speech issue.

That happened after RPI dropped the exhibit of the controversial "Virtual Jihadi" video game and art exhibit by digital artist Wafaa Bilal. The exhibit went to the Sanctuary which then was shut down by the city for its doors not being up to code. "Virtual Jihadi" suggested violence against President George Bush.

The city eventually settled a civil rights lawsuit over the closure.

"I would call it a retaliatory move," Vamos said about the eviction notice that's upset his tenants.

Mayor Lou Rosamilia said the city acted after receiving a complaint about the building. He said it was an issue of there not being a certificate of occupancy.

"Politics and code should never mix," said Rosamilia, a Democrat.

The eviction placard on the front door of the Third Street building is signed by Matt McGrath, code officer who is the son of former Republican Councilman Mark McGrath.

The building has a storefront at ground level and apartments upstairs. The storefront is Vamos' workspace and has been used for private gatherings.

Vamos returns home next week. He said he will head to city hall to address the notice.

kcrowe@timesunion.com • 518-454-5084 • @KennethCrowe