Arrests Made After “Black Lives Matter” Mural Vandalized

Several people are facing hate crime charges across the nation after defacing “Black Lives Matter” murals. In San Francisco, two residents received misdemeanor charges of violation of civil rights, vandalism under $400, and possession of tools to commit vandalism or graffiti. 42-year-old Nicole Anderson and 53-year-old David Nelson were captured on video July 4th painting over a portion of a street mural that read “Black Lives Matter” and was previously approved by the city. In the video they can be heard saying “the narrative of police brutality, the narrative of oppression, the narrative of racism” is a lie. They now face up to a year in county jail if convicted. Another case of vandalism was reported in Chicago after a similar mural was altered to read “all lives matter”. No arrests have been made yet but the incident is under investigation. Residents of the area are also working diligently to restore the original mural. In response to these, along with several other similar incidents, a new “Black Lives Matter” street mural has been painted along the street right in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan.