On Sunday, a 260-foot, yellow BLM mural that stretched down a street was defaced at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan with the phrase “Patriot Front” and paint covering the words “Black Lives”
Patriot Front, designated a “white nationalist hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, has ties to the anti-Semitic Vanguard America (VA), and was formed after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.
The BLM piece was one of two murals that were painted by roughly 80 members of the Ypsilanti community. Both murals were unveiled on Juneteenth.
Ypsilanti community organizer and activist Trische’ Duckworth, who helped spearhead the idea for both murals. told Detroit-based news station WDIV that “the damage speaks for itself on the amount of hatred they had to produce something like that.”
Duckworth, the founder and executive director of Survivors Speak, said that when she arrived at the park on Sunday, the paint on the mural was still fresh.
“This group may have paint, but we have more paint,” she said. “This group doesn’t have what we have—we have love, community and togetherness and that’s what’s going to get us through.”
Though the incident was reported to law enforcement, there aren’t any cameras within the vicinity of the park. Members of the community have since reached out to donate security devices in the hopes of catching any future vandals.
Duckworth said that she and the creators of the mural knew it was a possibility that it could be destroyed by anti-BLM individuals.
“What shocked me is they didn’t do it sooner, to be honest,” Duckworth said. “This is the America that we live in right now.”
“This actually shows just how much a state of an emergency that we are in as a community and it’s my hope that everybody will get all hands on deck to fight for racial equity in America because this shows that we have a lot of work today,” she added.
Duckworth told the news outlet that the aftermath of the vandalism was extremely emotional for the activists.
“We cried together and we embraced each other yesterday,” Duckworth continued. “I’m very scared. I don’t get scared often. I’m very alarmed at what could happen. They were very intentional to only blot out ‘Black Lives’ and not ‘Matter.'”
Ypsilanti mayor Lois Richardson has stated that the city should paint over the mural, but Duckworth is suggesting that she along with City Council should “slow down and craft a thoughtful response to this that includes the community.”
A real tribute to the thug who I will not name!!
A fitting tribute to the thug that I will not name.
I love it PERIOD!
Vandalizing the damage caused by the Black Lies Matter mural.
YESSS! . . . It’s about TIME. It’s TIME to quit GLORIFYING CRIME and CRIMINALS. One Enlightened And DELIGHTED Patriot. Team Trump And His Allies 2020 – MAGA (WE’RE NOT going away!).
I agree. I also want to add that Trump was a great president and Biden is a moron. Stay safe and be well.
Maybe it is because Floyd is still alive?
The BLM does not matter. All lives matter , yes
It is about time! Why is anyone trying to make this pos criminal such a saint that we have to have murals! Enough is enough!!!!
We do not reward criminals with fancy murals ! Jail cells and bad food is what BLM teams should be enjoying.
BLM isn’t anything that should be respected they’re criminals so nobody cares about their mural.
Good! Glorifying criminals is fundamentally screwed up!
Good! Glorifying criminals is fundamentally screwed up!
The fact that an act of god (bolt of lightning )destroyed the other George Floyd mural should give the BLM activists cause for concern.
i agree with the mayor time to get rid of the trash paint it over
The blacks have defaced and destroyed thousands of treasured statues and other art work, what goes around comes around
Exactly! Tear down every historical statue in our nation, but how dare you deface a criminal, & a fraud (Floyd) crap painting. It was so funny when the one in Toledo got nailed by Lightning. God is real, & he’s about to show Libturds, & the death cult his fury.
” Patriot Front, designated a “white nationalist hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center” lol @ the SPLC, the biggest anti-White, true hate group on the planet. These people are frauds. just read how that idiot Duckworth speaks about anyone who disagrees with glorifying druggies, & criminals. Ypsi is a shithole. I’ve worked there, & live just down the road now. Nothing but murderers, drugs, & thugs, & EMU – which all females are constantly in danger from rape by the typical ‘resident’ of Ypsi. Ypsi is garbage. End of discussion.
Now , Don’t Stop. take down anything and everything, that glorifies this TERRORIST Group. A Criminal Died, by actions from Himself. He made His bed, now rest in it.. These Idiots that think WE or Anybody owes them something, can leave or be Eliminated. We can work together if they choose. It does not matter to me or 99% of the rest, we can bury you. USA, love it or leave it. Vote TRUMP 2024!
It’s about time we quit glorifying criminals. His death, though tragic, could have been prevented. He wasn’t a saint by any means.
What is blm?
Bden loves minors.
Belt loops matter