‘ACAB,’ ‘F*ck 12′: How to Translate Rioters’ Graffiti and Shouting

DENVER, CO - MAY 30: Police officers stand next to graffiti near to the Colorado State Cap
Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Rioters are spraypainting “Fuck 12” and “ACAB” graffiti over police cars, windows, banks, shops, pavements, and walls.

What does the graffiti mean?

The rioters are also shouting, “Fuck 12,” at police:

Urbandictionary.com explains the meaning of “Fuck 12”:

Fuck 12 basically means fuck the police, but more specifically it’s means fuck the police drug unit.
Dashawn: “man close the window, the 12 might come!”
Daquan: *hits blunt* “man fuck 12!”
“ACAB” is an acronym for “All Cops Are Bastards” and “All Capitalists Are Bastards.”
The terms are favored because they can be quickly sprayed onto targets in large letters before the police intervene.

Slang is valuable in the spraypainting business because graffiti can sometimes be misspelled. Here, “Police” seems to have been spelled as “PLOCIE.”

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