Many readers will remember the photo of Steve Bassam dressed as a member of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, when new development of Brighton's Churchill Square was underway.

By aligning itself with The Beatles, the owner of the Square, Standard Life, should remember the peaceful message conveyed by many of their song.

Why? Because I joined the crowd last Friday at 5pm to hear speakers talking about the possible attack on Iraq.

Several small children were drawing hearts on the ground with chalk. I added a few non-offensive words and was immediately confronted by a security guard.

He told me such an action was criminal damage and that, if it continued, he would ask the police to arrest me. To make the situation truly farcical, the words I had written, with some irony, were "No chalking".

The guard asserted the ground might be aerosoled by me or others.

I showed him the stick of blue chalk I had and said it looked nothing like an aerosol. "This is private property," he informed me.

The threatening tone shocked me and a nearby friend. Shortly afterwards, someone added "This just means no talking" to my original message. Quite right. Truth is the first casualty of war and they wanted to shut us up.

Yet Churchill Square still acts as a public space. This is a matter of urban geography, not ownership. It is a central location, with many bus stops.

The popular bookshop Borders attracts intelligent customers who may well take part in demonstrating.

Churchill Square should remain a place of vibrant activity, without this surly attitude. No one should vandalise it but a fair judgement must be made.

Years ago, I drew a huge pavement drawing in the square - of the tennis player Pat Cash in Wimbledon week - when I was approached by a similar guard.

He could see it was nothing offensive and was happy to allow it. Hardly criminal damage.

-Peter Poole, Hove