SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — The Black Lives Matter mural in front of the Town Hall was vandalized Wednesday.
Police say the incident happened around 11:45 pm and there was white paint thrown on the mural. The vandals also wrote the phases "blue lives matter" and "!@#$ BLM" written on it. There is surveillance video of the incident as officers attempt to identify the suspects.
The mural has since been sealed over.
An online petition was made to keep the mural in front of the town hall about two months ago. The petition organizers wrote the mural has been the subject of controversy for residents. As of August 13, the petition has over 2,500 signatures.
'Black Lives Matter' murals have sprung up in multiple areas since the death of George Floyd at the end of May at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. There is also a 'Black Lives Mural' on Trinity Street in Hartford.
Each letter was assigned to a community artist. The artwork depicted watchful eyes, black fists, and many other designs.
"Seeing the other artists working. You get emotional because you are thinking of the struggle through all the years that we have been through and now just realizing that America as a whole is paying attention," said artist Natalie Langlaise.
The mural was sanctioned by the City of Hartford.
"We talked with our traffic division. They suggest we use traffic paint so it lasts a little bit longer. It should be here for a while. We plan to seal it once they are done," explained Janice Castle, the Director of Community Engagement for the City of Hartford.