New York subway signs replaced with anti-Donald Trump posters

'What scares me more than an unattended package is an unattended politician,' reads one notice

The adverts, which were originally part of a security campaign, were altered to include messages about holding politicians to account (Snapshot)

Posters warning commuters to be mindful of suspicious packages on New York's subway system have been altered to urge caution against President Donald Trump.

Several adverts that were originally part of the city’s “If you see something, say something” public safety campaign, now include messages encouraging people to hold politicians to account.

“I felt like a hero reporting what I saw," one notice reads, according to Gothamist a news site based in the Big Apple. "But what scares me more than an unattended package is an unattended politician.

“We have to keep an eye on how our representatives vote and hold them accountable."

Another poster reads: "I'm glad I was reminded to report that suspicious bag. But I wonder, when my own president uses a willing media to perpetuate a constant state of fear, who arethe real terrorists and who profits off my panic?"

A third says: "I knew to report the unattended bag I saw. But why wasn't I also encouraged to speak up when I saw my government destabilising the Middle East which led to increased terrorism in the first place?"

The altered posters, which look similar to the signs from the original campaign, were placed in only two carriages across the transport network

In the hope of delaying the removal of the subversive advertisements, the anonymous artist responsible asked Gothamist not to reveal which lines were affected.

He said he approved of the Metropolitan Transport Authority's (MTA) original safety campaign, but said he wanted to encourage the public to question what causes extremism.

"I don't think it's Orwellian, and I think it's responsible to be vigilant," he said. "But given the state of the world that we're in, I wanted to do something that took that conversation and elevated it so that people could be vigilant beyond what's directly in front of their eyes."

The fake adverts were installed overnight by a group of activists dressed in maintenance workers.

MTA have responded by saying the posters are illegal, vowing to remove them, and warning that anyone found posting them could face fines.